The Benton Police Department recently added a new K-9 partner to the ranks. The K-9 is an 18 month old Belgian Malinois/German Shepard breed dog.
The department solicited the 6th graders at the Benton Middle School to help name the new K-9 by writing essays and drawing pictures about why we should pick the name they had chosen. A committee of department employees then sorted through the entries and decided the name Ares was the best fit for the dog. Ares was the name submitted by Emilee Faith Millerd who was chosen from over 80 entries that were submitted.
Ares is assigned to Officer Hunter Begoon and they are currently assigned to the patrol division. Ares is a dual purpose K-9 and is trained in narcotic detection and criminal apprehension.
Officer Begoon and Ares both recently completed their certifications at the Little Rock K-9 Academy. Ares is certified through the National Narcotic Dog Detector Association (NNDDA) which is a professional, nonprofit organization dedicated to the utilization and proficiency of scent detector dogs for the benefit of law enforcement.
The cost for Ares was approximately $10,000 and was paid for through the use of drug seizure money. The cost includes all associated training and certifications for Ares and Officer Begoon, and all future training the two will attend over the course of Ares’ tenure at the department.
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