Abington Police Say Goodbye To K9 Sgt. 'Bella' After Decade Of Dedicated Service

ABINGTON, PA — After nearly 10 years of faithful service, Bella, the only Abington police canine ever to attain the rank of sergeant, is retiring from her position with the local department.

The four-legged canine officer, who began her work with Abington back in the fall of 2012, has enjoyed a "renowned and admired career with the Abington Township Police Department, instilling a sense of pride and good will for the Department and Abington Township everywhere she went," the department posted in a Facebook message announcing Bella's retirement.

Bella now plans to enjoy some much-needed rest and relaxation at home with Sgt. Jennifer Doyle, a veteran township officer who has served as Bella's human handler.

Doyle was a patrol officer earlier in her career when she first got assigned to be the K9 officer in charge of Bella. The two attended the New Jersey State Police for Patrol and Explosive Detection School together, and since that time the two have completed "hundreds of calls for service including tracks for suspects and missing persons, explosive detection sweeps, article searches, and building searches in order to protect the public and our fellow officers," the police department stated in its Facebook post.

Bella and Doyle have also conducted hundreds of public demonstrations throughout Abington Township and Montgomery County, and they also took part in the Citizen's Police Academy program as well as conducting Abington's Dog Walk and Watch Program since 2015.

"They have had the pleasure of representing the Department at many events and meeting thousands of people in the process," the department posted.

In 2015, Madeiline Dean, then a state representative and now a U.S. congresswoman, presented Bella and Doyle with a state citation for their dedication to excellence in policing and K9 utilization, according to the department.

The duo also won various competitions throughout the years and took home an assortment of trophies and titles.

The Abington Police Department promoted Bella to the rank of sergeant in August 2021 during a ceremony at the National Night Out police event, making her the only Abington police dog in the history of the department to attain the rank.

Check out the police department's Facebook post to learn more about Bella, her various achievements and her storied career.