BRODHEAD — When a local woman went missing recently, Brodhead Police Officer Brian Bennett was prepared.

So was his new K-9 partner, Arrow. They were on scene together ready to search for the woman “within minutes.”

The ability to respond that quickly for a search with a police dog “is huge when you’re talking about someone who may have dementia, or a small child,” Bennett said. 

Brodhead police no longer have to wait for a K-9 team to travel from a neighboring town or even another county.

“I can be there within three minutes,” Bennett said. “It’s critical.” 

Bennett made it his mission years ago to become the Brodhead Police Department’s first K-9 handler, and his research, fundraising and training finally paid off when K-9 Arrow started working in late October.

The new K-9 program was made possible thanks to donations from the community. Bennett raised $60,000 for the purchase of Arrow, his training and a K-9 squad car with the help of Mary Wells, president of the nonprofit Brodhead Police Association, and volunteers. In addition, the City of Brodhead gave the police department $10,000 to help outfit the patrol with equipment, Bennett said.

Brodhead Area Foundation, which has given to a variety of new projects in the city, including a museum at the airport, fabrication lab at the high school and bathrooms at Putnam Park, donated $18,000 for the K-9 program.

“We’re always looking for the betterment of the community, and we just felt that this was one area where we can hopefully keep the community safe,” said Lon Lederman, the foundation’s president. “We realize municipalities are short on funding these days and we’re always there to help out.”

Colony Brands Foundation donated $5,000 in August. Stephanie Derendinger, community relations coordinator, said the police department’s detailed request for a donation impressed her team and “it was wonderful to see it come to fruition.”

“They had a great Power Point (presentation) of what their plan was, how the dog was going to be taken care of, the training, maintenance ... That dog can be of service not only within the community of Brodhead but also in the area,” Derendinger said, adding that what stood out most to her was the police department’s specific plans to keep the maintenance of the program funded through donations.

Another major donation, $13,000, came from the charitable arm of the Firehouse Subs restaurant in Janesville.

Fundraising for maintenance of the K-9 program — which Bennett estimates to be $5,000 annually — continues at the Brodhead Police Association’s 5th Annual Dodgeball Tournament at Brodhead Middle School on Feb. 9. Bennett is currently seeking donations for a silent auction at the event.

Handling fundraising alongside everyday patrol duties is “a lot to juggle,” Bennett said, “but I enjoy doing it.”

Bennett knew early on that police work, and specifically drug enforcement, was his passion.

“I worked at the Sunglass Hut for a summer before college; sales was not for me,” he said.

He earned an associate’s degree at Blackhawk Technical College and then put himself through the police academy at Blackhawk. It was there he developed a “huge interest” in being a K-9 handler. He wanted the challenge of working with a dog and liked the idea of each day on the job being different.

Another draw was “being able to get drugs off the street,” he said. “That’s always been a goal of mine.” As a K-9 handler, “I think you can be utilized a lot more.”

He researched K-9 programs in the area to get an idea of what they require.

“I’ve talked with the Oregon Police Department a lot,” Bennett said. “I know the handler. He’s been awesome with letting me do ride-alongs.” 

Bennett got the green light to fundraise for the Brodhead K-9 Unit in 2016, met a $50,000 goal in late 2017 — which he then exceeded — and started working with Arrow, a 3-year-old German Shepherd, in June.

He and Arrow completed a five-week, on-site training in October at the Steinig Tal Police K9 Academy in Campbellsport, a community southeast of Fond du Lac. Bennett attended the training with five other officers representing law enforcement agencies in Milwaukee, Burlington, Forest County and Green Lake County.

It was a long time to be away from his wife and then 5-month-old daughter, he said, but worth it. He and the others participated in eight hours of training daily. Before lunch, the officers and their canines would practice searching vehicles and buildings for planted controlled substances. After lunch, the teams got practice in tracking a missing person, chasing a fleeing suspect and finding items such as clothing or a gun, knife or wallet in a given area.

“It was a good time,” Bennett said. “You rely on each other; bounce ideas off each other.” 

Arrow is trained to alert to marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin or opiate derivatives, Bennett said.

In the beginning, it took time for Arrow to warm up to Bennett.

“I had to get his trust before he would work for me, and that took multiple months,” Bennett said. “Now he hates being away from me. Whenever I leave the squad, he whines for me, wanting me to come back.”

The loyalty of the Germany Shepherd breed is strong, Bennett said. 

“I don’t know if he’d listen to another officer,” he said. “He always listens to me.”

Arrow lives with Bennett and his family, including their pet dog, in Brodhead. Arrow “gets along great” with the other dog and is also “really good with my daughter,” Bennett said.

“He’ll go up and sniff her and lick her face,” he said. “It’s been a really easy transition at home with Arrow. He’s a working dog, but still, to me he’s one of my best friends. He’s my partner.”