About ESDK9

Investigative experience. Detection capability. Quiet professionalism.

ESDK9 was built from investigative and digital forensics experience, with a clear focus on finding hidden electronics in environments where a missed device can carry real consequences. Our work sits at the intersection of technology, safety, and discretion.

View Services Request Service

About Us

At ESDK9, we bring more than 40 years of combined investigative and digital forensics experience. Our backgrounds include leading specialized investigative units, working alongside federal partners, and providing expert insight on cases involving computers, mobile devices, and emerging digital threats.

The idea for ESDK9 grew out of that collective experience. As technology became smaller and easier to conceal, we saw firsthand how traditional searches often failed to detect hidden devices. To bridge that gap, we combined investigative expertise with proven detection science and the unmatched abilities of working dogs.

Today, we provide this capability to schools, corporations, government agencies, and private clients, delivering trusted, discreet, and precise protection where technology and safety intersect.

Origins

The need for ESD K9 work grew as devices became smaller, easier to hide, and more difficult to locate through traditional manual searches alone.

Black Labrador retriever in harness sitting against a dark background

The History of ESD K9s

Electronic Storage Detection K9s are a recent but powerful innovation in investigative work. The first dogs were trained in 2012 to detect the unique chemical compounds found in devices like USBs, SD cards, and hard drives. Early successes quickly demonstrated the value of the discipline and helped establish the category as a credible investigative tool.

National attention expanded after Bear, an ESD K9 with the Seattle Police Department, helped uncover a hidden thumb drive during the 2015 Jared Fogle investigation. That case brought broader visibility to the capability, but the larger lesson was operational. Hidden digital media can remain undetected even during thorough searches unless teams bring the right tools and methods to the scene.

Today, ESD K9s are used by federal, state, and local agencies in cases involving child exploitation, human trafficking, fraud, and counterintelligence. What began as an experimental program has become a proven investigative discipline that helps teams locate evidence that might otherwise remain hidden.

2012Early ESD K9 training programs begin to formalize detection work for hidden electronics.

2015Bear's high-profile evidence find brought broader public awareness to the capability.

TodayUsed across multiple investigative settings by federal, state, and local agencies.

Why clients call ESDK9

Clients typically reach out when privacy, safety, evidentiary value, or operational confidence are on the line. The goal is not just to search. It is to search with the right capability, in the right way, and with the professionalism the environment requires.

Sensitive environments

We support schools, executive spaces, residences, municipal facilities, and investigative scenes where discretion matters.

Smaller hidden devices

As storage media and electronics become easier to conceal, specialized detection becomes more valuable.

Operational confidence

Agencies, institutions, and private clients need a credible way to reduce uncertainty in high-stakes settings.

Professional handling

Our approach is designed to be calm, methodical, and appropriate for both public-facing and confidential situations.

Need a discreet, professional sweep?

Whether you are responding to a concern, supporting an investigation, or preparing a sensitive environment, ESDK9 can help assess the space with specialized capability and a disciplined operational presence.

Request Service Explore Services