Bolo, a 3-year-old pit bull mix, was only supposed to stay at the
Hopkinsville Police Department for one day. But his short visit turned into a forever home when he stole the hearts of everyone he met.
Bolo had been living at the local animal shelter for about two months. He was the first dog chosen to take part in a new program called “Paw-Trol Wednesdays,” created by Royale Marfil, the department’s public information officer. The idea was simple: bring a shelter dog to the station once a week to help them get adopted.
The moment he stepped into the Hopkinsville Police Department, everyone wanted to keep him. It didn’t take long for the whole department to fall in love with him.
“As soon as he got comfortable and started playing, people were like, ‘Can we keep him? Can we adopt him?’” Marfil said with a laugh.
By the end of the day, Bolo had made so many friends at the police department. He eventually fell asleep on Marfil’s office floor and started snoring loudly.
“That was my favorite moment,” Marfil said. “Just seeing him feel safe enough to fall into a deep sleep like that.”
But when it was time for him to go back to the shelter, Bolo’s mood shifted. His head dropped, and he let out a soft whimper. He didn’t want to leave — and truthfully, neither did anyone at the station want to see him go.
So Marfil took the idea to Chief Newby.
“I asked if we could keep him,” she said. “And he just said, ‘Yeah, why not? Let's keep him.’”
From that day on, Bolo became part of the team. During the day, he hangs out at the police department, and at night, he goes home with Marfil.
And it seems Bolo knew his life was about to change. On the way to PetSmart to pick out a collar and some toys, he lit up with excitement.
“That’s when he got really happy,” Marfil said. “He just knew.”
In early November, the department held a special ceremony to officially welcome him to the team. Bolo even got his own title — he’s now the Hopkinsville Police Department’s first-ever “Paw-trol Officer.”
Since then, Bolo has become something of a celebrity. Marfil says she’s had to get used to people coming into her office to see Bolo instead of her.
“Everyone will pop into my office to say hi to him,” she said. “I think people forget that it’s my office since Bolo lives here.”
When Bolo gets visitors, he usually gets a treat. Of course, he quickly figured out that visitors mean treats!
“He’s just about as much as a garbage disposal as a dog could get,” Marfil says. “He’ll try to eat anything.” Whenever he hears the sound of a crinkling wrapper, he’s instantly at your feet, hoping for a snack.
Unlike the police dogs with jobs, Bolo doesn’t have any official duties. His only job? Being himself.
“He has the biggest smile every day,” Marfil says. “If you pet him, he will smile. If you're having a bad day, he's got the biggest smile for you.”
