Meet the Team
Brandon Gilmore
Co-Owner/Training Director
Brandon’s passion for K-9s began in his youth training hunting dogs and grew into a 25+ year career in professional canine training. After graduating college, he joined a forward-thinking law enforcement agency whose leadership gave him the opportunity to pursue specialized K-9 training. Guided by respected mentors and trusted colleagues who generously shared their knowledge, Brandon developed a deep understanding of modern police dog training. Known for his ability to train both K-9s and their handlers, he has earned a strong reputation within the working dog industry. A certified Law Enforcement Instructor in North Carolina, Brandon has led regional multi-agency trainings across Western North Carolina and conducted numerous Basic Handler Classes statewide. He now dedicates himself full-time to the K-9 industry, committed to honoring those who helped shape his path by developing exceptional working dogs and confident handlers.
Beth Gilmore
Co-Owner
Co-founder Beth Gilmore keeps the business running smoothly behind the scenes. Her work spans nearly every part of the company—from logistics and records to marketing and administration. Driven by her love for animals and fascination with working dogs, Beth's aim is to help build a company that delivers exceptional dogs, professional training, and trusted partnerships with agencies and handlers. Her versatile skillset allows Brandon and the training team to stay focused on what they do best: developing high-performance dogs.
Heath Plemmons
Trainer
Driven by a lifelong passion for high performance working canines, Heath Plemmons, dedicated his career as a 25-year law enforcement officer to the mastery of K-9 and patrol operations. Heath began his law enforcement career alongside Brandon in Western North Carolina in 1999 and began handling an explosives detection dog in 2007. He retired in 2025 from an agency in Vermont and returned home to North Carolina to join the CDS team. Heath’s expertise has been utilized in high-stakes environments, including dignitary protection details and critical bomb threat responses. He is now channeling his extensive field experience into a new mission: providing elite working dogs to dedicated handlers who demand the highest standards of performance and reliability.
Christian Gilmore
Trainer
From the very beginning, Christian Gilmore has helped build the foundation of Canine Detection Services (CDS) kennel operations, playing a key role in managing daily care, conditioning, and structured development of each dog in our program. With a hands-on approach and high standards for performance, Christian helps ensure every dog that leaves CDS is prepared for real-world deployment and built to perform under pressure. Through disciplined training, ethical handling practices, and unwavering attention to detail, Christian helps ensure that every dog leaving our program represents the strength, reliability, and integrity that CDS stands for.
About Canine Detection Services
Canine Detection Services is a professional police & military canine company located on 15 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. We specialize in providing hand-selected, excellent quality, imported canines that are of the highest medical standards. The canines at CDS have a strong and open social character that are a standard for all our single and dual purpose police and military dogs.
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Co-Owner & Training Director, Brandon Gilmore, has handled multiple certified police K-9s, maintains certified trainer status, and serves as a certified Judge for Police Canine Certifications. After 25 years of practical law enforcement K-9 experience and the integration of canines into tactical teams, Brandon understands the necessity of an exceptional working canine.
Our Selection Process
Each dog in our facility goes through the following hand-selection process in order to provide the highest quality & most efficient services for clients.
Exclusive Breeders
All of CDS K-9s have been bred by the finest breeders, selected for their dedication to health, drive, and build.
Detailed Trait Distinction
After the breeding process, dogs are evaluated and selected for specific traits. We look for top quality dogs with high drive, social ability, and more.
Rigorous Vet & Health Screenings
After the dog has been selected as a possible training candidate, each dog goes through rigorous testing to evaluate their health and longevity during their work.
