Bensalem Township Police Department K9 Bowie may be a fiercely furry officer in the field, apprehending criminals and locating pounds of illegal drugs with his trusty nose. But on the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 19, Bowie, along with his two-legged partner Officer Robert Schwarting, showed the world he’s also a fierce competitor.
The pair appeared on the new A&E series America’s Top Dog, which pits K9s from across the country against each other in a battle of speed and agility. Team Bowie took on the all-female duo of Seattle Police Department Officer TJ San Miguel and K9 Pele in an intricate obstacle course.
After knocking down doors, scaling a tower of boxes and flying through a tube, Bowie was named “Top Dog” with a time of 1:56.49 seconds. Team Pele finished at 2:03. As the winner, Bowie and Schwarting received a prize of $10,000. They decided to donate $5,000 to the Women’s Animal Center, located at 3839 Richlieu Road, Bensalem.
“I was humbled to be selected and given the opportunity to compete on the America’s Top Dog competition,” he said. “Winning allowed me to give back to an organization that does a lot for the pets and shelter animals in our community.”
On Tuesday, Feb. 25, Team Bowie, along with Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo, Director of Public Safety Fred Harran, board members of WAC and the rest of the K9 unit, convened at the shelter for a special ceremony.
Present was Cathy Malkemes, CEO of the Women’s Animal Center, who admitted she knew the outcome of the show but was on the edge of her seat, regardless.
“I was still screaming at the TV in your honor,” she said. “My dog was looking at me like I had lost it a little bit, but I was truly cheering you on.”
Malkemes gifted Team Bowie a commemorative plaque as a “thank you” for the $5,000.
“We’re thankful to have a partnership with Bensalem Township Police Department on a daily basis as we work together to care for and to assist the pets in our community,” she said. “This gesture of support by Officer Schwarting and the department only solidifies that partnership even moreso.”
DiGirolamo took a moment to praise Bowie and the entire K9 unit, comprised of six dogs trained in everything from patrol to narcotics and bomb detection.
“Well, certainly, Bowie is the star and actually got more votes than I did. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but you may be seeing the future mayor there,” DiGirolamo said with a laugh. “There’s nobody in the whole state, I think the whole country, better than the Bensalem Police Department. The job that they do in our community is incredible, and we’re so grateful.”
Attendees then heard from Harran, who provided an overview of Schwarting and Bowie’s relationship as well as the K9’s achievements.
Schwarting began working for the Bensalem Police Department in February 2014, was selected for the K9 unit in 2016, and was paired with Bowie in December of that year. In 2017, they graduated from Shallow Creek Kennel’s basic patrol and narcotics school, with Bowie competing in annual United States police dog trials, winning top honors each year.
Bowie has conducted more than 100 narcotics sniffs, and assisted with the seizure of more than $400,000 and nine pounds of methamphetamine, 10 pounds of marijuana, four pounds of heroin and four pounds of cocaine.
Additionally, Bowie has been utilized in more than 60 patrol calls, with career highlights including the apprehension of an individual who assaulted a Bucks County Sheriff Deputy and escaped from prison, and the finding of an 8-year-old boy with autism who ran away from home and was hiding in a Dumpster.
“The Bensalem Police are proud of Officer Schwarting and his K-9 partner Bowie,” praised Harran. “We know they are a great team that not only protects our community, but brings smiles to many of its faces. Now, the entire country knows that, too.”
At the conclusion of the program, Bowie, all smiles, was joined by his fellow K9s for photos and a meet-and-greet with fans of the show.
Visit womensanimalcenter.org for more information.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
