Page 11 - Volume 18 Issue 2
P. 11
Meet the newest K-9 officer
A big draw at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s April 1 Open “T-Bo is three, which is still young, but he is mature.”
House were the demonstrations by the Pomona Police
Lee said T-Bo had been on the job all of five weeks before the appearance at
Department’s four K-9 teams of specially-trained dogs and their
officer handlers. Officer Joe Hernandez told the crowds each dog has been
trained to find people, and three of them work patrol, sniffing out narcotics Open House. He will get special training in narcotics detection, replacing
the 11-year-old Baco, who is retiring in October along with his handler,
or explosives, and apprehending criminals. Theo Joseph. Officer Joseph has been with the Pomona P.D. for 25 years.
The officer handlers took turns wearing a protective suit to play the role of Originally, the police department obtained a different dog with WesternU’s
a suspect to show what the dogs can do. donation, but that 18-month-old Belgian Malinois named Axel did not pass
“The dog will sit in front of a suspect and bark until the officer handler gets the tests required to join the department.
there to apprehend the bad guy,” Hernandez said. “We tell the suspect, if
you don’t move, he won’t bite. But try any crazy moves, the dog will bite The donation came about after David Sevesind, the University’s security
and won’t let go until the handler issues the command to do so.” manager and a retired Pomona police officer, asked if WesternU could
sponsor a canine for the police department.
The highlight of the demonstrations was the introduction of T-Bo, the
newest K-9 officer for Pomona, courtesy of a $20,000 donation from Western “One of the reasons WesternU launched Southern California’s only College
University of Health Sciences. The donation paid for the dog, training for of Veterinary Medicine is the importance we place on the human-animal
the dog and his handler, and two ballistic vests. bond,” said Jeff Keating, the University’s chief of staff and executive
director of public affairs and marketing.
T-Bo, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois from Germany, is paired with Officer
Michael Lee as his handler. Lee has been a Pomona police officer for eight “The critical nature of that bond is demonstrated every day by Pomona’s K-
years, and just recently joined the K-9 unit.
9 unit, through the interaction between sworn human officers and sworn
“T-Bo did very well in all the regular basic training, and he’s good at all the canine officers,” Keating said. “Their relationship enhances public safety
daily and weekly training we do,” Lee said. “Some dogs come to us as and community service, which makes it a really good fit with what we do
puppies, and are so hyper, it takes a long time to train them. here at WesternU.”
Veterinary Outlook 9
A big draw at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s April 1 Open “T-Bo is three, which is still young, but he is mature.”
House were the demonstrations by the Pomona Police
Lee said T-Bo had been on the job all of five weeks before the appearance at
Department’s four K-9 teams of specially-trained dogs and their
officer handlers. Officer Joe Hernandez told the crowds each dog has been
trained to find people, and three of them work patrol, sniffing out narcotics Open House. He will get special training in narcotics detection, replacing
the 11-year-old Baco, who is retiring in October along with his handler,
or explosives, and apprehending criminals. Theo Joseph. Officer Joseph has been with the Pomona P.D. for 25 years.
The officer handlers took turns wearing a protective suit to play the role of Originally, the police department obtained a different dog with WesternU’s
a suspect to show what the dogs can do. donation, but that 18-month-old Belgian Malinois named Axel did not pass
“The dog will sit in front of a suspect and bark until the officer handler gets the tests required to join the department.
there to apprehend the bad guy,” Hernandez said. “We tell the suspect, if
you don’t move, he won’t bite. But try any crazy moves, the dog will bite The donation came about after David Sevesind, the University’s security
and won’t let go until the handler issues the command to do so.” manager and a retired Pomona police officer, asked if WesternU could
sponsor a canine for the police department.
The highlight of the demonstrations was the introduction of T-Bo, the
newest K-9 officer for Pomona, courtesy of a $20,000 donation from Western “One of the reasons WesternU launched Southern California’s only College
University of Health Sciences. The donation paid for the dog, training for of Veterinary Medicine is the importance we place on the human-animal
the dog and his handler, and two ballistic vests. bond,” said Jeff Keating, the University’s chief of staff and executive
director of public affairs and marketing.
T-Bo, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois from Germany, is paired with Officer
Michael Lee as his handler. Lee has been a Pomona police officer for eight “The critical nature of that bond is demonstrated every day by Pomona’s K-
years, and just recently joined the K-9 unit.
9 unit, through the interaction between sworn human officers and sworn
“T-Bo did very well in all the regular basic training, and he’s good at all the canine officers,” Keating said. “Their relationship enhances public safety
daily and weekly training we do,” Lee said. “Some dogs come to us as and community service, which makes it a really good fit with what we do
puppies, and are so hyper, it takes a long time to train them. here at WesternU.”
Veterinary Outlook 9
