Anthony LoRusso — Instructor Profile

About Anthony LoRusso

Anthony “Tony” LoRusso is a 27-year veteran of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and owner/operator of Muddy Paws K9 Training LLC. With more than 23 years in K9 operations, Tony currently serves as a lead trainer for the agency’s 16-dog K9 Unit, overseeing handler development, canine selection, and patrol and detector K9 training programs. Tony specializes in behavior-driven K9 training, hard surface tracking, and developing confident, street-ready handlers and dogs.

Tony is an FDLE K9 Trainer & Evaluator and a United States Police Canine Association Level 1 Patrol and Detector Trainer. Throughout his career, his K9 teams have been involved in more than 300 patrol apprehensions and over 100 successful narcotics detection deployments.

Known for blending real-world operational experience with canine psychology and behavior-based training, Tony has instructed numerous patrol and detector K9 schools and competed successfully at both the regional and national USPCA levels, earning multiple Top 20 national finishes.