ADOC HOSTS LARGE-SCALE K-9 COMPETITION AT CHILDREN’S HARBOR FEATURING ‘LOST CHILD’ SCENARIO

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) Special Services Division is excited to announce a two-day K-9 Competition that will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, October 8-9, 2025 at Children’s Harbor in Eclectic. This is not a public event. The media is invited to cover the event. Please respond to the email address below.

Day 1 will be a Narcotics Detection Competition featuring 20 Narcotics K-9 Teams from Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. There will be three sections to the competition: Vehicle Searches, Building Searches, and Open Field Searches.

Day 1 will also feature a retirement ceremony for Doc, one of ADOC’s finest narcotic detection dogs. At 13-years-old, Doc is the ADOC’s senior K-9 and has an impressive service record that includes the capture of an escaped inmate and detections that led to 65 contraband arrests. He also won a Silver Medal in the recent Birmingham World Police & Fire Games.

Day 2 will be a Tracking Competition featuring the two Semi-Finalist K-9 Tracking Teams from this year’s ADOC Tracking Dog Competition, which began with nine teams back in the Summer. These two teams will face off for a chance to take home the trophy and win bragging rights until next year’s competition.

There will be a unique spin on this year’s tracking final. It will focus on a simulation of children missing from camp. Spectators will get a glimpse of these K-9 teams in action as they search for these ‘children,’ who are actually trained law enforcement officers, posing as the subjects of the search. With this demonstration, Children’s Harbor hopes to stress the importance of having emergency plans in place for any possible event that can occur during a camp session. ADOC K-9 is always ready to assist outside agencies in locating missing children and adults as part of its mission to provide public safety.

The ADOC appreciates the hospitality of Children’s Harbor and its employees in allowing this opportunity and for hosting this large-scale K-9 competition. To learn more about Children’s Harbor and its mission, please visit www.childrensharbor.com.