WHEN A PARTNER GOES TOO SOON

A fact hard to deal with at times, when living with working K-9’s, is that they pass away. In a perfect world, our K-9 partners would retire and live out their lives with us as family pets. They work for us with such dedication that is is only fair they retire with the same from us.

People quite often ask what happens to our partners when they retire. Here at Metro, the handlers purchase the dog for a small fee and allow them to live out their life. We do not sell or give away the dogs outside the Department. This has never been an option, and never will. Our K-9 partners mean too much, and I can’t think of a handler that would allow it.

We spend 10 hours a day at work with our partners and then bring them home at the end of each shift and on the weekends. This means that we actually spend more time with our partners than we do with our family.

Some of us bring our partners into our home as part of the family. We understand that they are working police dogs, but the type of dogs that we select are capable of knowing the difference between work and family life. This is not the case with all K-9 programs, but we are fortunate here at Metro to have that option.

Over the past couple of years, we have had some dogs working lives cut short. This has touched almost all of the unit. With the assistance of Craig Road Pet Cemetery, and the support of the Department, we have been able to honor our partners in their passing.

It is not easy to have a dog pass away, but it is even harder when a working K-9 passes. Each and every working day as a police K-9 handler, you are accustomed to opening your truck door, and letting your partner in to start the day. Suddenly, without warning or planning, that 40-hour-a-week bond stops.

With retirement, you see it coming. You know the days are closing and you prepare. With a death, it stops. True, we start again at training a new partner, but it leaves a void in your heart. You feel a little cheated and left wondering how many “bad guys” were out there for you as a team to find. A small piece of you as a K-9 handler is locked away with that partner, a piece you won’t ever release again.

In loving memory, we would like for all to say, "thank you" to our partners who died after giving years of service to our community, and never got the chance to live out life in retirement as a pet. The following dogs have passed away within the last few years:

* All of these K-9's, except John Jenkins' Rudi and Buddy, have in past years, competed in Metro's K-9 Trials, like the one you attend now. Please watch and enjoy the work of those dogs you see today, for we don't know what tomorrow will bring.