Tabitha Garnhart
AMPWDA Master Trainer
Tabitha Garnhart is the handler of a dual-purpose police K-9 who specializes in explosive detection. Tabitha has over a decade long history of working with police canines. She began with an internship with a small police department in 2004, followed by an internship with the Illinois State Police Canine Division from 2004-2005. During that time, she logged hundreds of hours assisting in training and recertifying canines from various departments. She gained her Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and psychology in 2005, and began working for a major metropolitan police department in Missouri the following year. Since 2007, she has volunteered for countless hours with various canine training programs including: SAR, MPCA, NAPWDA, and the canine section of her own department. She also completed an internship in 2013, with her department’s canine section. She and her K-9 partner, Bodư, have conducted numerous tracks and searches, frequently recovered evidence, and have had several successful apprehensions, culminating in dozens of arrests over the past two years. Her passion and dedication to canine training and researching best practices are a strong asset to her training style.
