Mercer Co. Cop & K9 Partner To Feature On ESPN2 Dog Challenge

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — An officer from the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and his K9 partner will feature on a dog challenge show on ESPN2 this Sunday, the prosecutor’s office announced.

Lieutenant Joe Angarone and his K9 partner, Bela will feature in the first-ever K9 Detection Dog Challenge being broadcast on ESPN2 on Sunday, Nov. 28 at 10 p.m.

The event is being American Kennel Club and the United States Police Canine Association. The completion will bring together the best in narcotics and explosives detection dogs from around the nation to demonstrate the important role dogs play in law enforcement.

“We are thrilled to host this exciting event with the USPCA,” AKC Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo said in a statement. “It’s amazing to see these dogs in action and show viewers their training and precision. We can’t wait to share it with the ESPN2 audience.”

The event was held on Nov. 15 at the PNC Arena, where 10 narcotics dog teams and 10 explosives detection dog teams competed against each other to see which could find their respective substance – illegal narcotics and explosive substances – the quickest.

The teams navigated obstacles and sorted through distractions to find the hidden items. They were scored on the accuracy of their search, the perfection of their alert, and the find.

Tune in this Sunday at 10 p.m. to check out Mercer County’s very own team participate. To learn more about AKC events, visit www.akc.org. To learn more about the USPCA, visit https://www.uspcak9.com/.