Writer / Matt Keating
Photography Provided
Travis Sutphin, a bloodhound handler deputy with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, is always ready alongside the K9 he works with, to help people in need.
It’s a job that keeps Sutphin busy with a lot of different responsibilities, and it’s also a career he values highly. He loves being able to help people when they need it the most. 
He says he and his fellow officers have a busy daily schedule.
“The day-to-day care vet visits, exercise and so on are our department’s responsibilities,” Sutphin says. “Our department assists with our K9 partners in finding missing endangered children, endangered adults, and criminal suspects.”
Sutphin notes that his job also involves going to different places to help people. He appreciates that part of the job.
“We have traveled to various counties to assist in finding people,” Sutphin says. “We also train with our dogs weekly with different scenarios that we could have in real life.”
Sutphin started with the department in October of 2014 as a reserve, and transitioned to full-time work in April of 2018. “My duties involve taking calls for service, taking care of vehicle accidents on our roads, and traffic enforcement, while also being on call for needs with my bloodhound,” he says.
Bloodhounds have an excellent sense of smell, and help the police find missing or injured people in need of assistance. They are committed to the tasks they are assigned.
Sutphin has high praise for the K9 he works with.
“I work with one dog, Justice,” he says. “She is a one-and-a-half-year-old bloodhound that we got from South Carolina when she was five months old.”
Sutphin says working with Justice and other dogs has been a wonderful experience.
“Being a bloodhound handler is a great job,” he says. “The dogs are amazing to work with, and the people I have been able to meet and work with have also been great.”
Sutphin has been able to observe Justice get better at her job every day.
“I love getting to watch my dog progress in her skills in trailing,” he says. “I get to see how excited she is to be out there working hard to find someone’s family member or a suspect.”
Sutphin notes that it’s a satisfying feeling to aid people when they need it the most. He never forgets how great of a feeling it is.
“I get to help people in the community when they are having what could be the worst day they have ever had,” Sutphin says. “It’s great when we can be a part of getting someone back to their family safely. It is very rewarding knowing that I get to do that as a part of my job.”
