Laguna Beach police adding K-9 Bear to ranks

The Laguna Beach Police Department has a new member in its K-9 unit, as officials announced the addition of Bear, a 52-pound, 2½-year-old Belgian Malinois, to the department’s ranks on Tuesday.

Police Cpl. Priscilla Angeloni will serve as Bear’s K-9 handler. The partners were introduced to each other last week.

After the completion of a six-week training program, Bear will join Rudy, also a Belgian Malinois, on Laguna Beach’s police force, allowing the department to have a K-9 unit on patrol seven days a week. Authorities said it will mark the first time the department has had two K-9 teams within its ranks simultaneously.

The training, which will take place at Adlerhorst International in Jurupa Valley, focuses on drug detection, locating wanted or missing persons, and the apprehension of uncooperative suspects who pose a threat to the public.

“Corporal Angeloni and K-9 Bear are a fantastic match and have already bonded as partners,” Laguna Beach Police Chief Jeff Calvert said in a statement. “They will make an excellent addition to the K-9 program, and coupled with Cpl. McGuire and his partner K-9 Rudy, these two teams will be an added layer of protection to the Laguna Beach community.”

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Angeloni, who joined the Laguna Beach Police Department in 2016, graduated from Cal Baptist University with master’s degrees in forensic and clinical psychology. She currently serves as a field training officer and drug recognition expert instructor.

Calvert has referred to the department’s K-9 teams as a force multiplier for the law enforcement agency and for the community’s safety. The department lost K-9 Ranger to cancer in 2021.

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