Chico Police: top dogs, high horses

OK, maybe it’s a slow news week, but who doesn’t like animal stories? Especially when the animals in question are law-enforcement aides.

We’re talking here about a dog and two horses. We’ll start with the dog. His name is Bak, and he’s the K-9 partner of Chico Police Officer Brett Smith. Smith and Bak were among the 120 K-9 teams that attended the International Police Canine Conference in Dublin, Calif., June 1-6. At the end of the 60-hour training period, Smith and Bak were selected as the best canine team of the entire conference.

The horses’ names are Bubba and Magic. On June 7, they competed with their mounted CPD officers, Rich Hartman and Abigail Madden, at the California Mounted Officers’ Association Trail Trials in Fresno.

Hartman and Madden teamed up with two Modesto officers and at the end of the day finished in first place. Congratulations to all.