The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is expanding its K-9 conservation program, with the goal to stop poaching in Oregon.

The program launched in 2019 with Senior Oregon State Trooper Josh Wolcott and his K-9, Buck, a 5-year-old yellow Labrador retriever.

Officials said Buck is deployed an average of 40 times a year to help solve crimes related to fish and wildlife.

The pair is based in Springfield. Now, they’ll have another arm in Bend. Trooper Shae Ross and his K-9 Scout were introduced in Salem on Wednesday.

"He's in initial training for the same three disciplines," said Ross. "Super excited for this position and just grateful for everything we have."

Scout is an 18-month-old black Labrador retriever.

Ross and Scout are headed to Indiana soon to undergo the same training as Wolcott and Scout.

That training includes searching for wildlife that was killed illegally, but the dog will be trained to find missing hunters and hikers as well as physical evidence left at scenes.

The dogs are trained to detect wildlife such as deer, elk, bear, turkey, waterfowl and salmon.