WORCESTER—After a well-deserved career sniffing out explosives on a college campus, Bella the K-9 joined WPI’s graduating class on Thursday night, retiring after eight years on the job.
Bella’s handler, WPI Officer Brian Lavallee, proudly walked her across the stage to cheers, followed by thousands of hugs from students, staff and faculty at the college.
The now nine-year-old black Labrador Retriever was the first such K-9 to be assigned full-time to a college campus in Massachusetts, and she worked on the WPI campus and assisted Massachusetts State Police and other authorities at hundreds of events across the state, including the Boston Marathon, and the Fourth of July celebration at Boston’s Esplanade, according to the announcement.
Bella, who came to WPI via Guiding Eyes for the Blind, was invited to walk across the stage in recognition of her retirement and to give the WPI community the opportunity to thank her for her service. She is certified by the New England State Police Administrators Conference (NESPAC) and also participated in annual certification sessions with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,
She will be walking again Friday at the end of the 2024 Undergraduate Commencement, also at the DCU Center. After all her duties wrap up, she’ll be living at home with Officer Lavallee.
Charlene Arsenault can be contacted at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
