West Caln police welcome a four-legged, furry recruit

During his first week on the job in early May, a fledgling Chester County police officer called 911 repeatedly and then refused to speak when the dispatcher got on the line.

If that wasn't audacious enough, he also gnawed the radio controls in his patrol car and turned on the flashing lights.

But later that month, the newest member of the West Caln Township Police Department redeemed himself by nabbing a bank-robbery suspect in nearby Uwchlan Township.

"The guy screamed 'I give up!' when he saw Bouc," said West Caln Township Police Chief Curt A. Martinez, adding that surrendering was a wise choice.

Bouc, Martinez's new K-9 partner, is a multicultural marvel: a 21/2-year-old French-bred Belgian Malinois who responds to Dutch commands and devours American dog food from Purina, a Swiss company.

Four months ago, Martinez never would have imagined acquiring him.

On Feb. 11, after learning that Ricky, his former K-9 partner, had a painful, softball-size tumor in his spleen, Martinez made an "excruciating decision" to euthanize the 11-year-old German shepherd.

Ricky's heroics had been recognized in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties. They included security detail for two visiting presidents, assistance at ground zero after 9/11, the apprehension of numerous criminals, bomb sweeps at hundreds of sites (four of which contained live explosives), and the discovery of two missing children, one of whom was autistic.

Despite the accolades, Martinez believed his K-9 career had ended, but he fervently wanted the program to continue in his township. Besides the obvious benefits of having an animal trained in patrol and bomb detection on call, thousands of schoolchildren enjoyed interacting with Ricky.

Martinez said a couple of members of his department were interested in the K-9 program, but they worked part-time, which created obstacles to completing the rigorous training requirements.

"It's a huge commitment," said Martinez.

So the search for another K-9 officer went full circle, landing back at Martinez's front door.

"The program was too important to lose," he said, adding that he was grateful for the support of the township supervisors - and his family.

A K-9 partner is by an officer's side almost constantly, said Martinez, who acknowledged leaving Bouc in the patrol car the first week during a brief court proceeding.

"He managed to crawl out of his cage into the front seat, where he kept hitting the radio button," Martinez said. "I learned quickly not to do that again."

Martinez said the 911 dispatchers contacted one of his colleagues, who quickly guessed the culprit.

"They laughed once they knew what happened," said Martinez of the dispatchers.

Having family members who are understanding is also critical, Martinez said, since calls for K-9 teams can interrupt sleep or family gatherings.

In April, Martinez left his girlfriend, Vicki King, and his 15-year-old son, CJ, in charge of the family's dogs - Xena, a 3-year-old Malinois, and Niko, a 9-month-old pug - and traveled to K-9 Global Training Academy in Somerset, Texas.

There, he was paired with Bouc for an intensive two-week training session in patrol and bomb detection. Martinez immediately eschewed the French pronunciation, suggesting that "Butch" was more in keeping with the personalities of both dog and owner.

Since their return, Bouc has bonded with Martinez's extended family and his new department, where a sign on the door says: "Loose K-9 in office - Please ring bell."

Martinez said he chose a different breed of dog to thwart comparisons to Ricky. Plus, he said, he was drawn to the challenge of a dog with a more high-strung temperament.

"Stubborn, stubborn," Martinez exclaimed during a daily training exercise with Bouc that morphed into a battle of wills.

Martinez's goal: to get Bouc to drop his favorite toy on command. Bouc's response resembled that of the motorist who taps the brake before rolling through the stop sign: He let go for a nanosecond so he could grab it back before Martinez could snatch it.

"He's a handful," Martinez said, raising his voice to repeat the command and then sighing with relief when the hunk of black plastic was released.

He then proudly rattled off a list of Bouc's accomplishments in less than six weeks.

Besides apprehending the alleged bank robber, Bouc completed numerous preventive pre-graduation bomb sweeps at area high schools, searched for a murder weapon, performed a community security detail, and assisted U.S. marshals with a warrant roundup.

"A couple of guys just froze when they saw Bouc," said Martinez with a satisfied smile. "He's a very intimidating dog. In a short time, he's doing the job."