April 21, 2023 By Carol Britton Meyer
Hingham Police Department K-9 Pablo recently retired after eight years of loyal service to the town working with Officer Robert Achille in narcotics detection, and Pandia — a female black lab — is stepping into that role.
“Pablo is a very high-energy dog and is just starting to enjoy his retirement,” Achille told the Hingham Anchor. “I still take him for runs to burn off some of that energy.”
Officer Bryan LoBianco is Pandia’s handler. “My dream job has been to become a K-9 Officer/handler since I started with the Hingham Police Department in 2016,” he said. “K-9 Officer Ryan Ross has helped me achieve this goal by showing me the K-9 program and daily activities.”
Pandia, who weights 44 pounds, was born June 1, 2022. She was purchased from Maranatha Farm Kennels in Buxton, Maine, in March 2023 using Hingham K-9 Foundation funds.
Sgt. Mark O’Reilly (Department of Corrections), Ross, and LoBianco were present that day. The Foundation — a non-profit that uses funds donated by citizens to keep the Hingham K-9 program going — was established by Ross and Achille, who joined HPD in 2002.
“I was in the traffic division for 12 years. A K-9 position opened up, and I was chosen for the narcotics detection K-9,” said Achille, who is now on patrol duty.
Pablo — a male black lab — also came from Maranatha Kennels when he was 10 months old. Neither Achille — who had been chosen to serve as a K-9 officer and handler for narcotics detection — nor Pablo had any training.
“We both went to school for 12 weeks, and when we graduated, Pablo and I became partners,” Achille said. “He had a successful career, not only serving the town in narcotics detection but also playing a big role in the community.”
Pablo visited all the schools and also did demonstrations for residents, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and others.
Pandia was selected by the head trainer of K-9s in the area based on her performance in a number of tests, LoBianco explained. “I became her handler after the position was put out to the patrol officers following an application process and panel interview.”
Pandia is currently in week 6 of a 12-week training program for narcotics detection, conducted at various Massachusetts Department of Corrections training facilities.
“Sgt. O’Reilly is head of Pandia’s training program, with various other Department of Corrections K-9 handlers helping,” LoBianco said.
Following completion of her training, Pandia will be “back on the road” for about a year before undergoing “friendly finds” training involving tracking anyone who might be lost but is not a danger to the police — including missing children and older people or lost individuals.
“Pandia is a food reward dog, so basically she only eats when she trains and finds narcotics,” LoBianco explained. “Once we do friendly finds, she will also be rewarded for following a track, which leads to a food drop at the end (simulating a track a person would leave).”
Pandia, which means “goddess of the moon,” was named by Maranatha Farm Kennels. “This is a fitting name since she will be working the 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. and 12 to 8 a.m. night shifts!” said LoBianco, who worked in various roles with HPD prior to assuming his current duties. These include working in the Traffic Division and motorcycle unit and as a field training officer.
All of Pandia’s medical needs are taken care of by Old Derby Animal Hospital in Hingham. “They have been very supportive of our K-9 program,” he said.
As for Pablo, he found it challenging to adjust to home life after he retired. “He was used to being with me 24/7 whether he was working or not,” Achille explained. “For almost eight years, Pablo was hand fed every day, and now he gets to finally eat out of a bowl like a normal house pet. He still tries to sneak out the door and come with me when I leave for work, and he’s always waiting at the door when I come home.”
Most people, “including our own staff, don’t realize just how much time and commitment being a K-9 handler takes,” Police Chief David Jones told the Hingham Anchor. K-9 officers are on call outside of their regular shift hours, and their dogs train every day — even when the handler has a day off or is on vacation.
“Being a K-9 handler isn’t for the faint of heart,” he said. “To be selected you need to apply by submitting a resume and cover letter before going in front of an oral board comprised of K-9 handlers for our partner agencies.”
Once selected, K-9 officers/handlers begin a month’s long training program, with the dogs living with them and their families. “These animals are not pets and require a lot of patience and understanding,” Jones explained. “For example, the narcotics dogs are trained to jump on counters and furniture in order to search for illegal drugs, while at home the handlers can’t discourage or correct this behavior.”
With the addition of Pandia, HPD will have the opportunity to bring a “friendly find” role for the first time to its K-9 program in addition to her narcotics detection role.
“I am grateful for the years of dedicated service Pablo gave to this town, and I am equally proud of the dedication and work Officer Achille put in to make sure Pablo was one of the best trained K-9s in our area,” Jones said. “Pablo will be able to enjoy his retirement living with Officer Achille and his family along with his other dogs.”
Jones also said he’s thrilled to see Officer Bryan LoBianco step into the vacancy left by Pablo and Achille. “He brings a fresh perspective and new energy to the program while fulfilling his dream of becoming a K-9 handler. I can’t wait to see what he and Pandia bring to their new roles.”
