Bensalem Police Dog Featured On New A&E Show

BENSALEM, PA — A four-legged police officer from Bensalem will be representing our area on a new TV show on which talented dogs compete for top honors.

Bowie is a K9 officer with the Bensalem Township Police Department. He and his handler, Officer Robert Schwarting, are competing on "America's Top Dog," a new competition show on A&E.

The show's first episode, and first round of competition, aired Wednesday night.

Bowie and Schwarting have earned numerous awards in local and regional competitions. The producers of "America's Top Dog" chose them to represent the east coast on the show.

When it's their turn, they'll be competing for top honors, as well as $10,000 and $5,000 for the animal charity of their choice. Each week's top finishers will return for a final round of competition, during which they'll vie for the "America's Top Dog" title and an additional $25,000 prize.

On the show, police dogs and one civilian agility dog compete on a K9 obstacle course built to represent real-world situations. They are tested on speed, agility, and teamwork by completing a series of expert tasks on a massive obstacle course including navigating a complex maze for scented items and apprehending and taking down a suspect in a bite suit, among a variety of other challenges.

"America's Top Dog" airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on A&E.