K9 UNIT

 

Officer Andrew Versocki & Bowy

The Bedford Police Department K9 program originated in 1981. At that time, the unit consisted of one trained police dog and one trained officer/handler. By the late 1980's, the program had expanded to three K9 teams with three "single-purpose" canine dogs that were used to track/search for lost people and/or suspects. By early 1990's, the entire K9 program was completely eliminated due to budget constraints and operational issues.

In 2010, the Police Department resurrected the K9 program consisting of one dog and one handler. Our dog "Bowy" is a dual purpose dog trained in narcotics detection as well as tracking and building searches. Originally from Holland, Bowy is a 2 1/2 year old Belgian Malinois who was purchased from USK9 Unlimited in Kaplan, Louisiana. Bowy and her handler, Officer Andrew Versocki, have received several month of training at USK9 Unlimited. Officer Versocki and Bowy are assigned to the Patrol Division, but also assist the Tarrant County Narcotics Unit as requested to search for illegal narcotics.

Dr. Tom Bradford DVM and his exceptional staff at Advanced Animal Care Centre in Bedford oversee the medical conditioning of Bowy to ensure that she remains in excellent health while serving as a police working dog.