John Anthony Shahor

John Anthony Shahor — GAK9 Trainer

John Anthony Shahor is a GAK9 trainer, GA‑CERT K9 handler, Professor of Criminal Justice, and researcher who combines academic leadership with frontline operational expertise. As Program Director for Law Enforcement Dogs for the 21st Century (LED‑21®️) and Animal‑Assisted Intervention for the 21st Century (AAI‑21®️) at La Sierra University’s Criminal Justice Department, he develops and delivers interdisciplinary curricula that integrate criminal justice, behavioral science, and canine‑assisted intervention.

Credentials & specialties

* Certified in Dog Emotion & Cognition; Animal Welfare & Behavior
* Certified Trial Decoy
* Canine Athlete Advisor (CCAA); Canine Athlete Specialist (CCAS)
* Certified K9‑Medic
* Licensed K9 handler — Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency

Expertise in operational K9 deployment, forensic documentation, behavioral rehabilitation, search & rescue, tactical support, and program development

Team & impact

John trains and deploys multi‑purpose K9 teams using science‑driven methods, realistic field scenarios, and servant leadership. As a professional handler, he fields dogs certified in K9 Courtroom Advocacy, medical detection, narcotics detection, and urban, suburban, and rural tracking/trailing, including tactical tracking and human‑remains detection on land and in water. His lead K9, Crixus of Gaul, has achieved multiple live and deceased finds on both land and in water, provides comfort to traumatized witnesses as a Courtroom Advocate, and was honored as a K9 Hometown Hero by Modern Woodmen of America in Rockdale County, GA.

John’s training focuses on mission-ready tactical tracking: rigorous evidence‑preservation protocols, realistic high‑stress scenarios, and hard‑measured performance metrics. He prepares handlers and K9 teams to operate safely and decisively in contested environments, document forensic finds to evidentiary standards, and sustain resilience and accountability across after‑action review and continual skills validation.

John Anthony Shahor
Phone: +1 (678) 609-3384
Email: [email protected]
Fax: +1 (866) 234-6561
Skype: GACERTK9
Website: www.georgiacertk9.org
Social: @GACERTK9