SIMI VALLEY : Police Add 3rd Canine to the Force
Just three weeks ago, Bodo, Simi Valley’s newest police dog, was resting in front of a fireplace in Germany.
Now he’s getting ready for action.
The 2-year-old German shepherd was brought in to round out the city’s police canine team, joining two other dogs on the force. Now the department will have a dog on duty seven days a week, and two dogs on the busy Friday, Saturday and Sunday shifts.
With $10,650 in donations from local clubs and schoolchildren, the Police Department was able to hunt down the right dog for them in Germany, said acting Police Chief Richard Wright.
It will cost another $28,000 to buy a special patrol car and equipment, along with other supplies to support the extra dog, Wright said.
“The city and a lot of local groups have been very supportive of our canine program,” he said.
Like the other dogs on the force, Bodo is being paired with an officer. Veteran Officer Stephanie Shannon will be Bodo’s handler. She and Bodo will head to Bakersfield this month for intensive narcotics-related training, Wright said.
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