Philadelphia, PA — Walton County Sheriff’s Office is proud to announce K9 “Faro” and handler Deputy Chris Whatmough finished top 15 in the country this week at the National USPCA Canine Field Trials.

In February, Deputy Whatmough and K9 Faro placed 1st at the USPCA Region 1 Trials hosted by WCSO at Northwest Florida State College earning him the title of Top Dog and the opportunity to compete in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Nationals.

Deputy Whatmough and K9 Faro placed 3rd in vehicles and 13th overall in the nation with a total score of 194 out of a possible 200 points.

Deputy Whatmough and K9 Faro also teamed up with Officer Tommy Nguyen and K9 Dobies from Tarpon Springs Police Department in Florida and represented Region 1 for narcotic detection.   This team took 1st place over all in the team competition.

“This is a great achievement and an awesome representation of Walton County Sheriff’s Office Canine Unit,” said Sheriff Michael Adkinson. “We are proud of Deputy Whatmough and K9 Faro and their dedication.”