Meet K9 Mattis and his partner, DFC Jake Rideout!!


From the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland:

On March 28th, 2017, Sheriff Randy Bounds introduced the newest member of the Sheriff’s Office to the Caroline County Commissioners. Police MAN-TRACKER Bloodhound “Mattis” comes to the Sheriff’s Office from Kentucky and was trained and certified here on the Eastern Shore by J C Richardson of Delmarva K9.

The purchase of Mattis was made possible through a grant from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation which also provided funding for his training and gear for his handler. Additionally, the Caroline County Humane Society sponsored the Sheriff’s Office in support of the grant.

Mattis is only 9 months old and he is still growing into his beautiful and bountiful coat. His handler is Deputy First Class (DFC) Jake Rideout, who completed the certification course with Mattis. Both Mattis and DFC Rideout are now part of a regional Bloodhound Team made up of Bloodhound Units from the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office, and the Maryland State Police.

Mattis and DFC Rideout will soon obtain their Federal Certification to be on the regional FBI Evidence Recovery Team. They will attend specialized training on an annual basis at the FBI Headquarters in Quantico Virginia.

DFC Rideout has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 2013 serving in the Patrol Division. Prior to his employment with the Sheriff’s Office he served in the United States Marine Corps and is a veteran of two tours in Afghanistan. DFC Rideout was selected as the handler for Mattis based in part on his strong work ethic, professionalism, and love of dogs.

Mattis has already proven he has what it takes to track down criminals that flee from the police. Mattis was certified on Friday, March 17th, and just two days later on Sunday, March 19th, he and DFC Rideout responded to the Templeville area in Queen Anne’s County to aid law enforcement in tracking down two individuals that fled from a vehicle into a wooded area. Mattis conducted two separate tracks that led police to both suspects.

In addition to searching for fleeing suspects, Mattis will also help locate those individuals who suffer from Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other diminished capacities. In addition, the Sheriff’s Office anticipates that Mattis […]

so you can take advantage of preferred pricing for the ProCamps Ben Roethlisberger Youth Fantasy Experience!

The camp will be held on Sunday, June 18th, 2017 at the Steelers Practice Facility.

There are just 20 spots left from that first 100 for the Early Bird $199 price! After that, it will be $249 for the next 100 Campers — And then $299 for the last 100 Campers!


Boys & girls, grades 1-8, will be working on their football skills on the same fields that the Steelers players work on theirs!

This one day camp is similar to a “two-a-day,” running from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM with a lunch break in between sessions.


And of course, throughout the day, Big Ben and his coaches will offer tips and hands-on instruction, including lectures, fundamental football skills stations, contests, and non-contact games in a high-energy, fun, and positive environment. Young campers will be placed in small groups by age to ensure that each child gets maximum instruction. Ben and ProCamps are both committed to providing your child with the experience of a lifetime at an affordable price.


Your future football star will:

• Participate in the Big Ben Skills Combine
• Catch a pass from Ben
• Receive a souvenir autograph from Ben (item provided)
• Pose for a camp team photo with Ben
• Receive Limited-edition Nike gear package
• Attend the Steelers Training Table Luncheon


Proceeds benefit The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation!


You can find out more about the camp, or sign your youngster up here.