Don’t let his laid-back attitude fool you. Bodhi will leap to attention and into action with little warning to the untrained eye. He ought to – he’s finished his training and is a full-fledged member of the Port St. Lucie Police Department’s K-9 Unit.
“It’s all go until it’s stop time,” K-9 handler Officer Will Harris said of Bodhi. “He gives all he can,” but the moment they’re home, Bodhi plops on the floor at Harris’ feet.
“It’s been a busy week,” Harris said. He and Bodhi were called out on several deployments – each of which ended with a successful apprehension.
Bodhi’s first catch was in support of a call from the U.S. Marshals Service. The second was the tracking of a burglary suspect in the heat of the day. That suspect was found hiding on a canal bank. The third was a 3 ½-hour pursuit of a suspect who bailed out of a vehicle during a traffic stop.
All three pursuits involved a stint in the water – something Bodhi doesn’t seem to mind, Harris said.
The “young pup” arrived in Port St. Lucie in January and finished his intense training on patrol, searching and explosive detection in May. Ever since, he’s been in “maintenance mode” for training.
Bodhi doesn’t look much bigger than when St. Lucie Voice saw him during training in March.
“He’s filled out some,” his handler said. At 62 pounds, Bodhi is the ideal size. “Pocket rocket” is the term Harris used to describe the canine. Big enough to get the job – whatever is required – done, but small enough that the officer can heft him over a fence with relative ease.
When not on alert, Bodhi tends to chill, lie down on the floor at Harris’ feet or rest his head on Harris’ lap.
“He’s got pretty big paws to fill,” Harris said, referring those left by retired K-9 Oliver.
Oliver retired at the end of 2017 and went home with Harris as a house-dog. He’s still adjusting to the change. At first, having both Oliver and Bodhi under the same roof presented a challenge, according to Harris.
“They’ve worked it out,” he said of the conditions at home. “But they won’t be best friends any time soon.”
Harris fully expects K-9 Bodhi to keep the Port St. Lucie Police K-9 Unit’s legacy of service in good standing.
“He’s tenacious, well-suited for this job,” Harris said. “If someone needs to be found, I’m confident he’ll find them.”
