There are so many dogs in shelters, just waiting for someone to see their potential and take them home.
And when given the chance, many rescue dogs go on to do great things. Like one dog, who struggled to find a home while in a shelter but ended up with a great job on the force.
Arrow, a Belgian Malinois mix, was surrendered to Burlington County Animal Shelter in New Jersey, where he would stay for eight months.
According to the Burlington County Times, Arrow had a hard time find the right home. He was adopted but returned to the shelter twice, and was restless when locked in the kennel.
But Angela Connor, the co-founder and CFO of the Rescue 22 Foundation that trains dogs to be service animals for disabled veterans, saw potential in him.
“I thought that Arrow sounded like a dog that might have some working capabilities,” she told CBS3.
After meeting, she realized he wouldn’t fit as a service dog, but his behavior type, his loyalty and energy, would make him perfect for the police force.
And as it turned out, the Lower Southampton Police Department, in Pennsylvania, happened to be looking to bring back police dogs into their department.
After a few months with Philadelphia Police K-9 Training Unit, Arrow turned out to be the perfect candidate for the job, and became the department’s first K9 since the 1960s.
“Everybody in the community is very supportive and very happy that we now have a police dog,” Arrow’s new handler, Patrolman Kyle Heasley, told the Burlington County Times. “The department’s happy, so are all the fellow officers. He’s been a great addition to the department.”
On the job, Arrow provides a vital service to the department as a tracking and narcotics-detecting dog.
“Say we have a criminal running from a scene of a crime,” Police Chief Ted Krimmel told CBS3. “We can get the dog there. The dog can usually pick up on his scent of someone who is scared.”
While he’s a professional officer, Arrow is also still a dog: Chief Krimmel says Arrow is “always in my office trying to get treats and snacks.”
And when off duty, Arrow finally has a good home with Heasley and his family. “He is just like a family dog when we go home. He knows when to turn it off. He knows when we go to work,” Heasley told the Burlington County Times.
After successfully landing a new job with the police department, Arrow visited his former home at the Burlington County Animal Shelter, and his former carers were thrilled to see how far he’s come.
Congratulations to Arrow on finding a great new job and a new home! You’ve made everyone proud!
It goes to show the great things a rescue dog can do when given the chance. Share this inspiring story!
