Another successful effort for Bo the Bloodhound
Published 7:35 am Saturday, October 29, 2022
- Becky and Tony Arnold with Bo. The bloodhound has developed a sterling reputation as a master tracker and has helped authorities located missing persons. (Special to the Leesville Leader)
Bo the Vernon Parish Bloodhound made another successful find on Wednesday when he assisted the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office in locating a Welsh man reported missing on Tuesday.
According to authorities, Taylor A. Mallett, 24, left his home at 6 a.m. that day saying he was headed to work, but never arrived.
Mallett’s car was found abandoned near Galley Road and Joe Breaux Road in Hayes, and CPSO detectives located a key fob to his car in a wooded area nearby.
That was when they placed a call for tracking dogs and Bo was more than happy to answer that call.
His handler, Tony Arnold, said he was given permission by Sheriff Sam Craft to assist in the search on Wednesday, and within a short time Bo led Arnold and other deputies to a swampy area.
“He was trying to swim across it and we reached a point where I couldn’t feel the bottom anymore so we had to pull back and wait to get assistance with crossing the property. That’s where the individual came out to us,” Arnold said.
Since this summer, Bo has made a name for himself in scent and tracking circles. A pet by most regards, Bo has been trained to a high degree byArnold and his wife, Becky, a Beauregard Parish deputy, with their other bloodhounds.
And Bo has proven spectacular in his work. One of his earliest and most high-profile find was of a 76-year-old man lost in the woods near Oretta in July for five days.
Since then, Arnold has worked with local law enforcement agencies to make several more finds and he earned the pair a badge along the way.
“Sheriff Craft offered us a position here with the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office chase team, and we have been honored to be a part of it,” Arnold said.
Arnold and Bo are helping to fill the void left by the passing of K9 Duke earlier this year, and Arnold said that Duke’s handler Deputy Ricky Stephens has been a great mentor to the pair.
“It has been a great opportunity and Bo absolutely loves it. He has a passion for this work and I believe that is what makes him so great at this job; it’s not work to him at all,” Arnold said.
