By Michele McDonald
Lucy, a two-year-old purebred English Springer Spaniel, is Mason’s first K-9 officer. Photo by Evan Cantwell
The newest member of the George Mason University Police Department hails from England, enjoys a vigorous scratch behind her silky ears and has the best nose on the force.
Lucy, a two-year-old purebred English Springer Spaniel, became Mason’s first K-9 officer when she graduated from explosive ordnance detection school last week. Sporting a coat as lustrous as Kate Middleton’s locks and a vivacious personality to boot, Lucy is more than cuteness personified; she’s a working dog with a mission to protect and serve the George Mason community.
Lucy can detect a multitude of bombs, firearms and ammunition.
A brown-and-white bundle of nose-twitching alertness, Lucy knows she’s on the job when she dons her specially made uniform — a vest with her name on the front and a badge on the side, says her handler, Master Police Officer John Arnold, who has served as a police officer for a decade, five of those years at Mason.
Lucy with her handler, Master Police Officer John Arnold. Photo by Evan Cantwell
And, no, she wasn’t on patrol during the recent bomb threats at Mason’s Fairfax and Prince William Campuses because she hadn’t graduated yet. Those threats in mid-March turned out to be unfounded after a lengthy and detailed search that involved explosive ordnance detection dogs.
The need for a dog with Lucy’s abilities became clear after Mason Police conducted a security assessment of the Patriot Center last summer, Mason Police Chief Eric Heath says. Many universities with public arenas have dogs on staff; Mason Police plan to add another canine colleague by year’s end.
“Mason hosts many events attended by members in the community,” Heath says. “When we’re not having basketball, we’re doing major events.”
Mason turned to the nonprofit Northern Virginia Emergency Response System, which used a federal grant to pay for Lucy, her training and the training of her handler. Dogs of Lucy’s caliber are worth between $10,000 and $15,000. Officer Arnold and K-9 Lucy also will work with other police departments in the area.
More police departments are using dog breeds beyond the usual suspects of German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers, Arnold says. English Springer Spaniels are hunting dogs known for their sniffing prowess and ability to “spring” or flush birds into the air, but also for their gentle, friendly nature. This makes them ideal for helping people who are in distress, he says.
After arriving from England, Lucy received six months of rigorous training at a special training facility in Alabama before moving to Virginia where she spent five weeks training with Arnold and her canine cohort. Most of the dogs in Lucy’s cohort were also English Springer Spaniels. The cohort trained with police departments in Leesburg, Herndon and Manassas Park, as well as with the Virginia State Police.
Officer Arnold and K-9 Lucy will be seen patrolling Mason’s Fairfax, Arlington and Prince William Campuses. But as approachable as Lucy appears, she’s hard at work, so please ask before petting her.
Arnold is a dog lover who’s bred and raised Golden Retrievers and long has wanted to join a K-9 unit. The bond between the dog and handler goes beyond that of the usual police partnership. The pair spends 24 hours a day together, he says.
Even when she’s off the clock at home, she’s still on alert, Arnold says, as Lucy gives him a big smooch after sniffing the air and resting her paws on a table to get a better angle on some fresh currents. She’ll zero in on such common household products as nail polish and hydrogen peroxide.
Still, she’s a dog and gets plenty of play; her favorite toy is a ball. Lucy enjoys romping with Arnold’s two dogs, a Golden Retriever and a Lab-Beagle mix, and snuggling his two-year-old son. But don’t expect to see Lucy at a dog park because other dogs may not be up to date with their shots or might carry an illness she could catch.
While Lucy is a hard-working member of the Police Department, she also brings lightness to the workplace. Co-workers smile as they pass her in the hallway.
“After dealing with emails all day, it’s great therapy to rub a dog’s ears,” says assistant chief Tom Longo. Lucy couldn’t agree more and flops over for a nice belly scratch.