At the Jan. 25 City Council meeting, the Loveland Police Department's K9 Mack was recognized for his distinguished service.
Mack retired in Autumn 2021, after serving the community for the past seven years with his handler, Officer Kyle Bibelhausen. Sadly, Mack was injured and underwent a major back surgery in April 2020, which allowed him to work for almost two more years. Eventually, his injury became too much of a risk, requiring him to retire. But — don’t worry — Mack loves his retirement job on a farm, chasing coyotes away from the chickens and goats he lives with and mentoring his new younger brother, K9 Cruz.
About Mack
Mack was born 9/4/2013 in the Czech Republic and imported through Holland to the United States. He was purchased by the Matt Haverkamp Foundation and donated to the LPD in 2015. Mack earned his name with his size and power, affectionately being known in training as the “Mack Truck.”
K9 Mack wasted no time making an impact in Loveland. Mack has more than 200 deployments under his collar, assisting on numerous drug cases, finding felony suspects that may never have been caught, uncovering evidence, and attending many, many community events as an ambassador for the Loveland Police Department. Mack knows when it’s time to go to work but is equally comfortable showing his softer side, especially with children. Mack performed countless demonstrations over his years of service, even allowing ear scratches and hugs from the kids.
Mack and Kyle have always been top performers. Mack and Kyle took "Top Patrol Dog" two years in a row and typically placed in the Top 3 for narcotics work NATIONALLY at the North America Police Working Dog Association.
Notable Cases
Here are four short but notable cases:
1. K9 Mack tracked two local burglary suspects in West Over Villages LITERALLY right to their front door. The juvenile suspects had stolen cash, knives, and a handgun from an elderly victim. All the items were safely recovered and the suspects were arrested.
2. Kyle and Mack responded to a murder scene, where he tracked the suspect into a busy neighborhood. While the suspect had already left the area, Mack was able to find and recover the suspect's shoes, hat, and the handgun used in the murder. These were key pieces of evidence used in the eventual conviction.
3. In another case, Mack cornered a felony domestic violence fugitive that had been on the run for several months inside a detached garage on East Broadway. The human officers searched but could not locate the suspect. Mack’s behavior and refusal to leave alerted Officer Bibelhausen that perhaps the human officers had missed something and they needed to check again. Sure enough, the fugitive was located inside the garage on the second check and taken into custody with the help of Mack’s persuasive demeanor.
4. One of K9 Mack’s last tracks was the longest in local recent memory. For just under six miles in the summer heat, Mack tracked a wanted felony domestic violence suspect who had fled in a vehicle, then on foot, making several river crossings and through difficult terrain. Mack’s work led officers to the suspect's location where the exhausted suspect gave up hours later. For this case, Mack and Kyle were recognized for their valor and determination. The pair were presented with the Merit/Bravery Award at the 2021 Clermont County Law Enforcement Appreciation Banquet.