Saint Agnes welcomes new Security K9

Saint Agnes is pleased to announce the arrival of our second Security K9 unit. Saint Agnes’ K9 program – the first of its kind in the Central Valley – is comprised of two K9/handler units that provide detection and patrol services for Saint Agnes Medical Center and its outlying facilities.

New K9 Ela and her handler Officer Noah Richardson started training together in August before making their official working debut at the Medical Center in early September. Ela – a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois – was raised and trained in Europe before being selected as a Saint Agnes K9.

“We are thrilled to introduce these two members of our Public Safety Department,” says Bobby Hawkins, Saint Agnes Director of Public Safety. “Officer Richardson joined us in June, bringing with him five years of law enforcement experience, including three years specifically as a K9 handler. Together, Noah and Ela will be invaluable assets to our team, further enhancing safety for our colleagues, patients and visitors.”

The pair joins Officer William Dennis and K9 Athos who began their work with Saint Agnes in August 2023.

With two fully trained K9 teams, Saint Agnes is able to leverage the unique talents of these trained canines to prevent and detect potential security threats in and around the Medical Center.