What happens to retired police dogs?

Answers:
I can't answer for all police dogs, but the ones where I live get to live the rest of their lives with the owners and the family, as well as living with them when the dog is not on duty.

EDIT TO ADD:

Wayne, how very sad that they are put down. I totally agree that risk theirs lives daily and and it stinks that their "final reward" is being put to sleep. Also, where I live, if a K-9 cop is killed in the line of duty, the dog gets a full police funeral and burial along with a 21 gun salute I saw one on TV about a year ago and it was really heartbreaking to watch. Police and their dogs came from all around to attend the funeral.

---

When police dogs become too old to do their job, they usually go to live with someone. If their officer is retiring soon, they might go to live with them.

---

A lot of them will go live with the policeman/woman the dog had worked with. They have been togather for several years already and have a very close bond. Some of them will be adopted out to new homes.

---

I'VE HEARD THAT IF THE POLICE OFFICER THAT WORKED WITH IT WANTED TO, THEY CAN ADOPT THEM. IF THEY'RE TOO AGGRESSIVE, I GUESS THEY GET TO GO TO "RAINBOW BRIDGE" (LOOK IT UP UNDER petloss.com)

---

they usually give the dog to the owner that wants it

---

the officers that they lived with can adopt them or they are put up for adoption to anyone

---

Hey There,

I am by no means an authority on the subject but my Father-in-Law is an OPP K-9 unit. I have always wondered myself what happened to the dogs so I asked him a couple of years ago what the scoop is and here it is. I imagine that it changes from province ot province, state to state.
For Liability issues attack animals cannot be retained by the officer unless it is under special circumstances. The brutal reality of it is they get destroyed which pisses me off to no end. Those dogs put their puppy-nutz on the line for us every day and as far as I am concerned they should be put on a nice farm to retire for their services. They are expected to rush a perpetrator that is armed with no fear and plain prejudice. Thats a bum rap if you ask me.
Drug and Explosive dogs on the other hand are usually given up to homes or to the handlers. My F-I-Law has two black labs that are amazing dogs and I alwasy make sure that my drugs are left at home when I go over. (just kidding). They made incredible pets and are great with my kids.
Years ago they must have let them keep the other ones because there is several older (80's) family pictures with an attack dog named King that they were able to keep but I Imagine the government likes to avoid lawsuits with regards to weapons such as those mean assed dogs.


:)


To add to this after reading a later post its not entirely true that the handler don't get bit. Every one of the handlers I know have a couple of horror stories of trying to get the dogs off fellow officers or even themselves when the snip hits the fan. They were laughing this summer while showing wounds on their legs after the dogs have lost their frickin minds. I agree completely that the training and discipline is unmatched but they are not machines, they are animals and have very little ability to reason. If an ex-police dog was to bite someone these days you have a huge lawsuit on your hands..

---

The police office they have worked with gets first option to keep them, Usally if they were a really good/gifted dog the Police office is asked to breed the dog.

---

usually the canine officer that has this dog as his partner takes this dog home every night and it becomes a family dog. this is true believe it or not. when a police dog retires, the officer usually keeps him. due to the fact that the dog is train to bite and attack the truth of the matter is. there are signals and envioments that put's the dog in attack mode. notice cops don't get bit when there are 15 cops taking down this one suspect? it's all about conditioning. I worked for a sheriff dept and I was nervous for the longest time when a K-9 unit would show up on the scene but that was before I became educated with they're behavior and now, I would prefer to have a K-9 at every call.They not only know that work is work and play time is play time but they make great family dogs.

---

Sometimes they are given their partner, that they have worked with.

---

The trainer, is so bonded with these special trained dogs, that most of the time, the dog goes to live with the trainer.

---

The handler has first dibbs on adopting it. If for some reason he doesn't there are probably people waiting to take him.

---

A lot of the dogs will be allowed to live with their handler. They are with him 24/7 when they work together and once retired, they usually let the cop keep the dog as it is part of his family anyhow.