EPHRATA — The Grant County Sheriff’s two new deputy K9s have been named, thanks to area children in the Boys and Girls Club of the Columbia Basin, in Moses Lake, and Red Rock Elementary School, in Royal City.

The Sheriff’s Office partnered with the two groups for help naming the new patrol K9s.

The Royal City K9 will be named “Ryder.” This entry was submitted by Red Rock Elementary second-grade student Ismael Sosa, who added that he landed on this particular name “because it stands for Knights and he will be riding with a policeman.” Ryder’s handler will be Deputy Dave De La Rosa.

The Moses Lake area K9 will be named “Cain,” which was submitted by fourth-grade Moses Lake student Kammaya Bishop. Cain’s handler will be Deputy Jaret Fulbright.

All entries in the GCSO K9 naming contest were reviewed by a panel of judges, which included Sheriff Tom Jones, Chiefs Ken Jones, Ryan Rectenwald, Joe Kriete, the deputy K9 handlers, Red Rock Elementary School Principal Theresa Eilers, and Moses Lake school teacher Peggy McNutt.

Bishop and Sosa, the winners of the contest, will receive a meet and greet demonstration from the K9 team, a commemorative photo with the K9 team and Sheriff Jones, and a Grant County Sheriff’s Office challenge coin.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the meet and greet with the winners will be scheduled as soon as possible in accommodation with the new K9 deputies’ busy training schedule.

“I would like to congratulate and thank Kammaya and Ismael for their winning entries and participation in this project,” Sheriff Jones said. “It’s wonderful knowing both K9s are reporting to training on Oct. 5 with their handlers as well as their new names.”

“We are very pleased with the names, immeasurably grateful for the show of community support in obtaining them, and now we’re looking forward to getting these new deputies to work,” he said.

According to a previous release from the GCSO, the dogs will be patrol K9s, meaning they will be used for tracking people and acting as a protective partner for their human deputy.