Jail’s K-9 handler headed to new career
Deputy Lewis creates ‘model program’ for the state
The Chelan County Regional Justice Center is saying goodbye to its canine handler who not only played a key role in building the narcotics-detecting program in the local facility but also inspired other counties around the state to add canine programs in their own jails.
Corrections Deputy Jacob Lewis, handler for K-9 Gambit and the late K-9 Kait, leaves the jail this summer to begin working for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office as a patrol deputy.
The decision was not an easy one, said Lewis, who served seven years at the county jail and has nearly a decade of experience in corrections.
“It was a hard decision because I like what I do,” Lewis said. “But this is in the best interest of my family.”
With Lewis’ departure, K-9 Gambit will retire after nearly two years of service. The 5-year-old border collie retires to a comfy couch in the Lewis home.
“We are certified together as a team,” Lewis explained. “If something happens to either one of us, we are decertified together. My last day will be his last day.”
The jail has already filled Lewis’ handler position. Corrections Deputy Skyler Silsby will be trained in the coming months with a canine that will be matched with him at the Washington Department of Corrections K-9 program.
“Picking the right person to be our agency’s first K-9 handler was the most critical decision for the drug interdiction program,” said Chris Sharp, director of the Chelan County Regional Justice Center. “Deputy Lewis was the absolute best decision we made. He was committed to establishing a successful K-9 team. He took charge and not only made us the premier program for Washington state jails but also brought us national recognition, first with Kait and then with Gambit. It is impossible to quantify how many lives were saved due to his steadfast commitment to the program.”
Building a Foundation
Originally from Idaho, Lewis served four years in the U.S. Coast Guard before beginning a career in corrections. After working two years at the Chelan County jail, he applied for its canine handler position in 2020.
The drug interdiction program was new to the jail and aimed to use several tools – the canine and body and mail scanners – to make a more concerted effort to keep narcotics, which were becoming more and more deadly, out of the jail.
That first year was challenging, Lewis said. To be the first canine handler spearheading a new program meant there was much learning as he went. He relied on a network of law enforcement K-9 handlers around the state for input and support.
Lewis, who describes himself as an introvert, also got to work educating the public about the K-9 program, which is community funded. He became a pro at social media, public speaking and doing interviews with the media. With his dog, he attended community events around the county. He spoke at professional government associations and was featured on regional and national podcasts.
“Overall, the program has made me take skills that I wasn’t using and forced me to use them, or learn them,” he said.
Agencies across the state have paid attention to Lewis and the Chelan County Regional Justice Center. Lewis has taken calls from jails as far away as New York. The Washington State Association of Counties has asked the jail to speak to its membership about its successes with the drug interdiction program. Director Sharp also has spoken of the successes at the National Institute for Jail Operations.
When he started as a handler, Lewis was one of two municipal corrections canine handlers in the state. Today, canines have been added to three additional jails – and up to three more are expected to be added by year’s end.
Deputy Lewis will be greatly missed in the K-9 community, said Terry Hartman, K-9 program manager for the Washington State Department of Corrections.
“Deputy Lewis spearheaded and mentored many jail K-9s arriving on the scene in our state,” Hartman said. “He is a shining commitment of what these programs can become to the community and the jails for which they serve. I wish him well and look forward to seeing the great work that I’m sure he will do.”
Showcasing Corrections
In his time as the jail’s handler, Lewis also has received multiple honors and awards. Most recently, the jail’s K-9 Unit was chosen by the Gesa Community Foundation to receive its Local Heroes Grant. Last year, the duo was named the NCW Fair’s First Responders of the Year.
For Lewis, serving as the jail’s canine handler has allowed him to shine a light on corrections deputies when he is in the community.
“I wanted to demonstrate that corrections deputies do more than process people who get arrested,” he said. “We are a valuable member of the law enforcement community.”
Nearly two years ago, Lewis led an effort to give back to the community that funds the jail’s K-9 program by offering K-9 detection services to the local schools. The county has multiple contracts with school districts in both Chelan and Douglas counties.
As a father, Lewis said the school program was important to him because it serves as a deterrent for young people bringing drugs into the schools. It also builds on community partnerships and that relationship between young people and law enforcement.
“Deputy Lewis and K9 Gambit will be greatly missed not only in our facility but throughout the community, especially within our schools,” Sharp said. “He established a unique partnership with our local school resource officers as well as multiple school districts, aiding in deterring drugs on school premises.”
Looking Back and Ahead
Looking back, Lewis talked of his first find with K-9 Kait, who passed away in 2023. He recalled bringing her back from training, only to have her not hit on anything for two months. He thought his dog was “broken,” he joked. Then the finds didn’t stop. For six months, it was a steady stream of finds. They were being tested by those trying to get drugs into the facility, he said.
“I’m pretty proud of the fact that we have made a model program,” Lewis said.
Corrections deputies rely heavily on their communication skills in their facilities, Lewis said. He is taking to his new job not only those skills but also an advanced knowledge in drug smuggling techniques and trends and the proven ability to work with a canine.
But he’s going to miss not having a dog beside him, said Lewis, who carries Kait’s tags tucked in his work vest. Gambit is always at his side, or laying in the back of his vehicle. What he’s not going to miss is all the dog hair in his vehicle or the excessive barking, he joked.
The change may be hardest on Gambit. When he sees Lewis getting ready for work, the dedicated pup meets his partner at the front door, ready for duty. The DOC K-9 trainer advised that Gambit is too advanced as a narcotics-detection dog to be considered as a partner for a new, inexperienced handler.
“Gambit will have an adjustment period when he’s realizing he’s not going to be able to go with me to work,” Lewis said. “He’s a high-drive working dog, so I know I’m going to have to find stuff to keep him stimulated. Luckily, he has a little (border collie) sister at home who annoys him.”
Last Updated: 04/25/2025 03:05 PM