K-9

Holbrook Police Department’s First K-9, Bo, Retires After Six Years of Service

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Holbrook Police Department
William J. Smith, Chief of Police
300 South Franklin St.
Holbrook, MA 02343

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Holbrook Police Department’s First K-9, Bo, Retires After Six Years of Service

HOLBROOK — Chief William Smith announces that Holbrook Police K-9 Bo has retired from duty this month after over six years of service.

K-9 Bo served with the department since December 2012 and was partnered with Officer Joshua Knowlton. Officer Knowlton and K-9 Bo were Holbrook’s first K-9 team.

K-9 Bo is a German Shepherd who came to Holbrook Police from the Netherlands. He was trained by the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit and the Massachusetts Department of Correction K-9 Unit. He graduated from a 16-week training course and began his duty in April 2013.

K-9 Bo was a certified patrol dog. He was trained in human search and tracking, evidence searching, criminal apprehension and crowd control.

K-9 Bo’s presence at active scenes with hostile suspects often worked to deescalate the situation.

In his time with the department, K-9 Bo assisted officers in arresting a suspect wanted for robbery and assault of a police officer. K-9 Bo also responded to many calls to assist neighboring police departments in need of a K-9. Notably, he helped Abington Police locate a suicidal female who was hiding near an apartment complex.

“We are very proud of Bo and his service to our department and community,” Chief Smith said. “He did excellent work in assisting and protecting our officers. We thank him for his service and wish him many happy years of retirement.”

Holbrook Police is looking into using grant money to purchase a new K-9, which can cost upwards of $8,000. The department currently has another K-9, Charlie, serving as a narcotics detection dog.

K-9 Bo was officially retired from all police work and duties at the beginning of the month and will live out his retirement with Officer Knowlton and his family.

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Armstrong Ambulance Staffers Participate in Hands-On K-9 First Aid Training

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Armstrong Ambulance
87 Mystic St.,
Arlington, MA 02474

For Immediate Release

Friday, Jan. 4, 2019

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Armstrong Ambulance Staffers Participate in Hands-On K-9 First Aid Training

ARLINGTON — Armstrong Ambulance personnel participated in a specialized training last month that would help them render aid to an injured dog in an emergency.

On Wednesday, Dec. 12, Armstrong welcomed veterinarian Beth Eisenberg from the Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital in Woburn for an in-depth training session that would enable them to help an injured dog, such as a police K-9 hurt in the line of duty.

Armstrong EMTs and Paramedics worked with a black lab to learn more about its anatomy and develop an understanding of how properly listen to its heart and lungs and locate its pulse.

Staff members were also trained on basic handling of an injured K-9 — including providing safe transport using a backboard — and all of the critical skills they’d need to respond to various types of trauma, much as they do with human patients. They also had the opportunity to practice CPR on a K-9 mannequin.

“We work closely with police departments and other Law Enforcement agencies which includes their K-9 members, so we want to be prepared to provide critical lifesaving aid to anyone at a scene who may need it,” Armstrong CEO Richard Raymond said. “Our team members did an excellent job building an understanding of how they can provide immediate help to injured dogs just like they would with an injured person.”

While all Armstrong EMTs and Paramedics have undergone extensive and specialized training to provide aid to human beings, the course on K-9 first aid allowed them to have a baseline understanding of the needs of injured animals and how their first aid needs differ from those of humans.

The course is part of Armstrong’s ongoing training program, and provides participating EMTs and Paramedics with continuing education that they must fulfill in order to maintain their certifications. 28 Paramedics and EMTs participated in the training.

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Locating a Dangerous Firearm at Night is Part of the Job for Littleton K-9 Vojak

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Littleton Police

Littleton Police Department
Matthew J. Pinard, Chief of Police
500 Great Road,
Littleton, MA 01460

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Locating a Dangerous Firearm at Night?

All Part of the Job for Littleton K-9 Vojak

LITTLETON — When Boxborough Police and surrounding departments responded to a call for shots fired earlier this month, the advanced training and skills of Littleton’s four-legged cop were put to the test — to amazing effect.

Shortly after 11 p.m on Wednesday, Oct 4, residents on Davidson Road in Boxborough reported hearing multiple shots fired. Officers arrived and found that two people had been involved in an altercation, but no firearm was immediately visible.

Officers searched a wooded area near the home, but nothing was found. Thanks to a longstanding mutual aid agreement among communities in Middlesex County, the call was made to Littleton Police to send its K-9 unit. Vojak and his partner, Officer Brian Casey, arrived on scene quickly. Within 90 seconds, Vojak had found the loaded silver .32 caliber revolver allegedly used in the evening’s incident.

For Vojak, it was just another day on the job.

“Vojak is a terrific partner. He can go places and find things that humans simply can’t get to, and he makes our jobs easier every day,” said Officer Casey, who has been with the 4-year-old German Shepherd since Vojak began training as a puppy.

Vojak is certified by the Boston Police K-9 Academy and the United States Police Canine Association. Two years ago, he came in first place in evidence detection at the 2016 Cabela’s Police K-9 Competition.

Earning your stripes as a working K-9 unit is a time-consuming and difficult task, and not every dog is up to the task. Vojak and officer Casey spent 14 weeks at the Boston Police K-9 Academy to become certified in patrol. Evidence location is a specialized skill that takes even more effort to master.

“Evidence recovery is taught in a few different phases with continual repetition where the dog learns to associate reward upon locating items with human odor,” Officer Casey explained. “We train every month to keep Vojak’s skills fresh. It’s extremely helpful, as a well-trained K-9 can find something in seconds that human officers may spend hours trying to find with their eyes.”

In addition to firearms, Vojak can find knives, cell phones, and any evidence with a human scent that he can trace with his amazing sense of smell. He is also trained to find people. Vojak was able to find a missing person in another community just in the past week.

Vojak and Officer Casey are trained by Boston Police K-9 Officer Troy Caisey, Donny Evans of the Essex Country Sheriff’s Department, Ken Mckenzie of Marlboro Police and Tim Frates of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department.

Chief Matthew J. Pinard praised the work and tireless dedication of Vojak and Officer Casey.

“A well-regimented K-9 performs a variety of tasks from community policing, to finding missing persons, to locating dangerous weapons, and we are very fortunate in Littleton to have an experienced and qualified team in Vojak and Officer Casey,” Chief Pinard said. “This recent case is yet another example of the value of mutual aid among municipal law enforcement partners in Massachusetts. Each department has specialized resources it can bring to bear on a crime scene of ongoing incident, making our communities safer in the process.”

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Newport Police Welcome New K-9

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Newport Police Department
Chief Seth C. DiSanto
222 Main St.
Newport VT 05855

newport-vt-patchFor Immediate Release

Monday, Aug. 13, 2018

News Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Newport Police Welcome New K-9

Officer Joshua Lillis and Poulin Grain President Josh Poulin with K-9 Ozzy. (Courtesy Photo Newport Police)

NEWPORT, VERMONT — Chief Seth C. DiSanto is pleased to announce that the Newport Police Department is welcoming a new K-9 unit to the department.

K-9 Ozzy is a 1-year-old Belgian Malinois that will be partnered with new K-9 handler Officer Joshua Lillis when he officially joins the department. Ozzy will be taking on the duties of K-9 Dax, who will be retiring after seven years of service to the Newport Police Department.

Sgt. Travis Bingham, who has been the department’s K-9 handler since 2006 and worked with both Dax and his predecessor, Odin, will remain as the department’s K-9 instructor and work closely with Ozzy and Officer Lillis.

Ozzy will soon be attending the Vermont Police Academy, where he’ll be trained in drug and evidence searches, as well as suspect tracking and apprehension.

“Sgt. Bingham and Dax have served the city of Newport well,” Chief DiSanto said. “I have no doubt that Sgt. Bingham’s expertise will be a tremendous asset for Officer Lillis and Ozzy as they transition into their new roles.”

Newport’s K-9 program began in 1999, and has thrived in part due to the support of Poulin Grain, which has donated high quality dog food to the department since the program’s inception.

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