New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Bristol County K9 Officer Brennan Bulgar went through the narcotics detection academy with his former partner, K9 Axel, many years ago. Axel served the Sheriff’s Office and the people of Bristol County with honor before retiring last year at 10 years old.
Now that Axel lounges at home as the family pet, Officer Bulgar and his new partner, K9 Eros, are following in Axel’s footsteps with the beginning of the narcotics detection academy on Monday. Ten weeks from now, Officer Bulgar and K9 Eros will be able to detect nine different narcotics, including fentanyl, heroin, suboxone and cocaine, among others.
“We’re very excited and thankful for the opportunity,” Officer Bulgar said Monday during the first academy day with trainer Sgt. William Dillingham. “We’ll be able to assist other agencies at the drop of a hat. Drugs are a big public safety issue, and Eros and I are ready to do our part.”
But if you thought Officer Bulgar going through it once will make the academy easier the second time around, think again. Eros will be learning a passive detection rather than an aggressive detection. In simple terms: Instead of scratching and putting his paw on the scent he detects, Eros will be trained to sit or lay down when he’s detected something.
“It’s safer for Brennan and Eros,” Sgt. Dillingham said. “For years, all dogs were trained with aggressive detection. But today, the last thing we want is Eros scratching or putting his paw on a bag of fentanyl or other dangerous drugs that could rip open and harm him or Brennan.”
Good luck to Officer Bulgar and K9 Eros!
Bristol County Sheriff’s Office photo.
