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Handler – Deputy Chris Bedell
From drug-busting service dog to family friend: Retired MCSO K9 Merlin’s end of watch
The soulful brown eyes of an aging German Shepherd stared up at retired K-9 Deputy Chris Bedell. It was a warm and sunny Friday outside Bedell’s home, and he smiled as he reached down to rub the face of his partner, Merlin.Nearly 13 years ago, Merlin entered Bedell’s life and changed it forever. The dog’s loyalty, trust and intelligence had not only carved out a place in Bedell’s heart, but in their family as well. Both Merlin and Bedell are older now, and Bedell had noticed his loyal partner was slowing down. Bedell said last week he knows what’s coming – Merlin’s “end of watch” – but he didn’t want to focus on that. He wanted to remember and celebrate the good that he and his partner accomplished together.When Bedell got out of the Army in 2004, he kicked off his career in law enforcement. He worked at the Montgomery County Jail for a year and then spent five years with the Oak Grove, Kentucky, Police Department. In 2010, he joined the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and three years later, his dream of becoming a K-9 deputy came to fruition.That day in 2013, Bedell set eyes on what would be his first and only K-9 partner. “He was scrawny,” Bedell recalled with a grin, “and he didn’t want anything to do with me.”Bonding with Merlin took time, and the first three weeks of training together were difficult and full of corrections. But every night, Merlin would come home with Bedell, and after living together for those first three weeks, Merlin’s trust and loyalty to Bedell grew.But the first year of working together, something happened that cemented their bond.“We were listening to a wiretap for the Drug Enforcement Agency,” Bedell said. “Whenever I was told, I would go out and stop a specific car for the DEA.” During the wiretap assignment, several officers had to stay together in Springfield for a week. “We were staying in this little room with eight other guys, and there were cots everywhere.”There was no room for Merlin. So, for an entire week, Merlin slept on the cot with Bedell. During the day, they sat together in a car for surveillance work, and at night, they cuddled up together to rest. “It was at that point that I was like, ‘This dog is pretty amazing.’”Merlin has had an illustrious five-year career at MCSO as a dual-purpose narcotics and patrol dog. While the law enforcement life can be stressful and serious, Merlin showed Bedell there can be moments of levity and humor.“We always did shows for kids, so we went to this elementary school, and I’m reading to the kids one of their books,” Bedell recalled.“Merlin’s fine, he’s off the leash, and all of a sudden he stands up and starts sniffing the air, and he walks over to the backpacks that are all lined up on the wall.”Bedell shook his head with a smile as he continued to say, “He starts sniffing the backpacks, and he comes to one, sniffs it, moves it around and then sits and just stares at it.”Merlin had decided to make a drug bust during story time.“I was like, ‘Oh no,’ and the teacher is looking me like, ‘What are we doing?’” Bedell chuckled. “We didn’t find anything, but there was odor on the backpack, probably from parents or somebody the student was riding in the car with.”Merlin’s keen sense of smell paid off in dividends over the years, in the MCSO Patrol Division and with the 19th Judicial Drug Task Force. He aided in the seizure of hundreds of pounds of illegal narcotics and millions in associated drug money. Merlin was also directly involved in five criminal apprehensions, securely holding suspects until they could be taken into custody. As a result, he was recognized by the U.S. Police Canine Association as the Case of the Quarter winner on multiple occasions.One of Merlin’s biggest contributions was also his last. Bedell said he received a tip that there were drugs in a storage unit facility, but no one knew which unit. When the duo arrived on scene, Bedell unleashed Merlin, gave him the command, and his partner got to work. Merlin sniffed up and down the row of units before fixating on one in the middle.When Merlin sat down and indicated on the storage unit, law enforcement obtained a search warrant and cracked it open, discovering a cooler full of 55 pounds of methamphetamine, valued at $2.5 million. Additionally, they found a money counter, paraphernalia and $7,000 cash.Both dog and owner changed after they entered retirement in 2018. Bedell grew a beard, and a blast of gray whiskers coated Merlin’s muzzle. While Bedell found new employment at Northwest High School to continue to work, Merlin more or less spent the last seven years in the lap of luxury.During Merlin’s golden years, he hadn’t alerted to any drugs or done any bite work training. Instead, he watched over Bedell’s family.Merlin enjoyed following Bedell around and going on adventures, whether those adventures took them nearby to their woodshop or out on the water for a fishing trip. Bedell said Merlin always got a little overexcited about fishing and tried to eat the fish as soon as Bedell reeled them onto the boat. But Merlin’s favorite thing was to hang around Bedell when he was cleaning catfish.“He sleeps a lot, waits to be fed. He loves table scraps,” Bedell said, rolling his eyes. “That’s my wife’s fault.”Over the last few months, Merlin slowed down significantly. He lost his hearing, and his back legs were weak from arthritis and joint issues, making it difficult for him to get down the stairs or chase his favorite ball. At night, Merlin experienced “sundowning,” waking up disoriented and confused, panting and pacing as he tried to figure out where he was.On Monday, Merlin and Bedell went to their family veterinarian to get a final assessment on Merlin’s condition. That afternoon, March 31, Merlin ended his watch after 13 years of protecting the community and his family.In a statement to Clarksville Now, MCSO expressed sadness about to hear about Merlin.“His handler, Deputy Bedell, and K9 Merlin were an integral part of our K9 team. Their service included responses to service calls, providing support to other law enforcement units, conducting drug searches, and education and engagement with the community. Our condolences go out to Chris Bedell as he deals with the circumstances of Merlin’s declining health. We will keep him and his family in our thoughts.”“He’s a family dog,” Bedell said last week, his voice struck with emotion as he knew what was coming. “And besides my grandkids, he’s my right-hand man.”
