Felix is a two-time top dog in Mississippi.

Felix and his handler, Brookhaven Police Canine Officer ClintEarls, claimed top honors during the recent U.S. Police CanineAssociation Certification and Competition in Picayune. It was thesecond year in a row for the dog and handler team to win the topprize.

“We wanted it,” Earls said about their determination to win.

Earls said 29 teams took part in the statewide Region 26competition. The Brookhaven team will go on to represent the statein the national competition in Evansville, Ind., in September.

Teams in the April 2-8 event participated in various aspects ofpatrol and narcotics detection.

Earls and Felix, who have been a team since 2001, took firstplace honors in apprehension, evidence search and in team patrolwith two units from the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office and theRidgeland Police Department. It shared first place agility honorswith a team from the Gulfport Police Department.

The Brookhaven team placed second in obedience and third insuspect search. The results were enough to give Earls and Felix thefirst place in the patrol competition.

Earls and Felix, a Belgian Malinois, didn’t place in thenarcotics portion, but still did well enough to win the combinedstate title. Overall, the team scored 691 points out of a possible700 points, Earls said.

Earls said he strives to make sure their training is consistentand ongoing.

“Felix is really focused on his training,” Earls said. “We trainevery week, sometimes three or four days a week.”

Earls said the training helps prepare him and Felix forreal-life incidents when they arise.

“If we do get in a situation, we know how the dog will react,”said Earls, a 15-year veteran with the department.

Police Chief Pap Henderson said the training is very timeconsuming.

“I admire him for the dedication and time he puts in for thisdepartment,” Henderson said. “The result is it pays off incompetition.”

Earls said he appreciated the support of Henderson and the mayorand board of aldermen. The chief hoped for continued success fromthe department’s canine unit.

“I’m proud of Clint and Felix,” Henderson said. “We want them tocontinue to do what they’re doing.”