California council approves retirement for police dog
By CHRISTINE HAINES
chaines@yourmvi.com
Ego, the California Borough K9 officer, is officially a retiree today.
The 9-year-old Belgian Malinois will settle into civilian life with his career partner, Patrolman Tom McCarthy. Borough council approved the K9’s retirement Thursday, with McCarthy assuming all responsibility and liability for Ego. Neither McCarthy nor Ego attended Thursday’s meeting.
Councilman Phil Difilippo initially suggested having the dog checked by a veterinarian to determine if it needed to retire, but police Chief James Kirsch said he has seen the way arthritis has affected the dog’s movement. Kirsch said the handler knows the dog best and should be trusted with the retirement assessment.
Kirsch said most police dogs retire by age 7, so the borough has gotten good service from Ego, who was trained for patrol work, narcotics searches and tracking.
Council voted to liquidate the K9 fund, moving the remaining $400 or so to the general fund. There are no plans at this time to add a new dog to the force.
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