Deputy Domingue and K-9 Nikko

My name is Michael Domingue, and I am a Deputy Sheriff at Merced County Sheriff's Office. I became a full-time Deputy in 2017. I quickly realized I wanted to join the Sheriff's Office K-9 team as I have always had a personal interest. Within six months, I became an agitator for approximately one year, where I assisted other handlers and began to understand the dedication needed. In 2018 I was assigned to the Sheriff Enforcement Team. While assigned to this team, we focused on quality-of-life issues throughout the County of Merced, including illegal marijuana cultivation, mental health, and unhoused individuals.

I have since become a certified crisis intervention and hostage negotiation Deputy and a certified advanced diver. As of February 2022, I was blessed with the opportunity to join the K-9 team again, this time as a handler of the only explosive detection dog in Merced County.

K-9 Nikko is a 3-year-old male yellow Labrador retriever. K-9 Nikko was born in Washington. He was certified in detecting 11 different explosive odors in March 2022. K-9 Nikko has helped various agencies both in and out of the county. He continues his training to refine and perfect his skill set. When not searching for explosives, he is out in the community attending school functions and other public events. K-9 Nikko enjoys playing fetch, swimming, and spending time with his family after work.