Bensalem Police Dog Makes Rooftop Arrest (ICYMI)

BENSALEM, PA — Add a Valentine's Day rooftop arrest to the record of Bensalem's most famous police dog.

Bowie, the award-winning Bensalem Township Police K9 officer who has been featured on a national reality show, played a leading role Sunday morning when police were called to a burglary in progress at Home Depot on Rockhill Drive.

When officers arrived at the hardware store at 5:58 a.m., they say a man who tried to steal some items tried to get away by climbing onto the roof.

Using equipment from Nottingham Fire Company, officers made their way onto the roof as well. That included Bowie, who police say quickly found the man hiding between air conditioning units.

Ryan McLinden, of Philadelphia, was arrested without incident and sent to Bucks County Correctional Facility, where his bail was set at 10 percent of $100,000.

Sunday wasn't Bowie's first moment in the spotlight.

Last year, he and his handler, Officer Robert Schwarting, topped four competitors to win on the A&E show "America's Top Dog." For the win, Bowie and Schwarting got $10,000 and their chosen charity, Women's Animal Center in Bensalem, got $5,000.

Bowie and Schwarting have earned numerous awards in local and regional competitions. The producers of "America's Top Dog" chose them to represent the east coast on the show.

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