Upon meeting Archie for the first time, I had no doubt he was the real deal. His gaze did not miss a thing as he surveyed the room, yet he always had at least one ear finely tuned to his partner in crime, Officer Sean Malia.
This partnership, however, almost never was as Archie, formerly British Military, was diagnosed in late 2010 (shortly after being brought to the United States) with heartworm disease. Fortunately for all of us, with proper treatment and conditioning, he made a full recovery. In 2011 at 3-years of age, Archie, a Belgian Malinois (Mal-in-waa) began the intensive training of an American police dog. And, as they say, the rest is history.
From the moment they were paired together, Archie and Officer Malia have excelled at every aspect of their work on the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Often working with SWAT, this dynamic duo leaves no stone unturned--finding criminals (my words not Officer Malia's) when more traditional methods fail.
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| Pictured L to R: SSKC Chair Sandy Brannum, Archie, Officer Sean Malia and SSKC Member Judy Shoup. |
Officer Malia and Archie are just one team out of 20-some serving the greater Las Vegas area. When it came to the attention of the Silver State Kennel Club's Canine Giving Committee that these civil servants did not have safety shields, its members stepped up and donated $4,000 to Friends of the Las Vegas Police K9s to purchase four state-of-the-art shields.
Today, more than ever, heros like Archie need our support. So, this 4th of July, I thought it only fitting to focus on these highly trained professionals and unsung American Heros: our K-9 Cops and their human counterparts, and otherwise pay tribute to them for all they do to protect and serve. You may too by giving them a LIKE on Facebook.
Happy 4th of July to ALL!
- Tammy
P.S. - I thought Archie should get a red cape to go with his new shield, but Officer Malia assured me that he flies just fine without one.
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