Meet the Staff at Southern Coast K9

Many of our K9 trainers have prior experience in both law enforcement and the military in the United States and in Europe.

At Southern Coast K9, we employ people who have a passion for working with K9s. Caring for each dog as if it were their own, our staff have produced some of best detection dogs in the field.

For a good canine handler, this is not merely a job but a lifestyle and a career.

We employ multiple canine handlers whose professionalism and knowledge of what makes a good instructor, coupled with our hands-on training seminars, means the K9 dog-and-handler teams we train go on to become very successful in the field.

BILL HEISER / founder

Bill Heiser has received certification through several canine detection training schools including the U.S. Customs Training Facility and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement K-9 Instructors’ Course.

He has trained and certified his police K-9s through the United States Police Canine Association, of which he is a member. Bill has also been a member of the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association.

Prior to his retirement, Bill served for 16 years as a K-9 drug detection handler for the Volusia County Sheriff’s Department. Bill was selected by National Guard Multi-jurisdictional Counter Drug Task Force Training to be an instructor for their K-9 Interdiction Course.
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PEGGY HEISER /President

Peggy joined Southern Coast K9's Team bringing with her over 20 years of experience in marketing and business development.

Her strong marketing skills, great vision and ability to assist in day-to-day operations will assist Southern Coast K9, Inc. in continuing its growth in current markets while building niche markets and the successful acquisition of future canine detection service contracts. Peggy’s ability to bring results over the past 20 years with strategic marketing & development planning has exceeded revenue generating projections consistently through her efforts.

NEWTON VILLALONA / DIRECTOR OF TRAINING

Newton’s experience began as a K-9 Handler working for the Santo Domingo Police Force in the Dominican Republic. He also worked as a K-9 Handler in Iraq before beginning his career at Southern Coast K9, Inc. in 2004.

Newton began working as a K-9 Trainer and Decoy in for SCK9 and through his hard work become our Director of Training. Everyone in the K-9 field from both the United States and Europe who have had an opportunity to observe him have agreed that his natural ability and his enjoyment in working K-9’s has allowed him to excel in this field of expertise.

HECTOR JOGLAR / K-9 INSTRUCTOR , TRAINER

Hector is a K-9 Instructor and Trainer and has been with Southern Coast K9 since May, 2009.
His experience began as a Police Officer in Puerto Rico for 9 years in various units, including K-9 drug detection, Team Leader of the first patrol program and then K-9 Handler in SWAT. During his tenure he was awarded several awards some of which are the Year 2000 Medal of Valor, 2000 K-9 Unit Patrol Dog, Officer of the Year and 2001 Officer of the Year, K-9 Unit.

Hector was deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq under the Department of Defense Contractor as a K-9 Handler and given a Letter of Recommendation from U.S. Special Forces for his service.

Rik Wolterbeek / Trainer

Rik was a former certified regional and national KNPV decoy for over 15 years in Holland. He has over 30 years of canine patrol and detection training experience as well as vast experience as an instructor for over 100 K9 seminars across the USA in patrol work handing, obedience, protection, tracking, decoy, drug, bomb and cadaver detection.

edward phillips / K-9 TRAINER, handler

Ed comes to us with a background in law enforcement through serving in the US Air Force from 1982 - May 1990 as a law enforcement officer and was assigned to oversee the Military Working Dog segment. He served in the U.S.A.F.
reserves from 1990 - 2004 and during this period was a Corporal/K9 Officer with the Oviedo Police Department for four years.

While in the US Air Force and the Ovideo Police Department, Ed achieved multiple course certifications in patrol dog handling and bomb & drug detection.