In Shaker Heights, Ohio, K-9 Officer Igor and his handler Chad Hagan had been together since the dog was barely a year old. When Chad opted to move his family to another city, he gave Police Chief Wayne Hudson his two-week notice on Thanksgiving.
It had been a drama filled standoff for the past two weeks. Igor and Hagan had worked together since 2018, and after seven years of service together the officer and the dog had been closely bonded.
According to social media, Hagan had expected to take Igor with him as often allowed by the departments for a nominal fee. In this case, however the police chief refused, stating Igor would remain in service for another year-and-a-half, even though Igor has slowed down.
And then Igor had been placed in a kennel by himself, and it is not known how this dog, who has only known his family since having been a puppy, had been coping being isolated. The kennel renamed him – calling his “Ramos. And since November 29, Igor had been isolated from everyone.
On Friday, according to WlbtNews, the city council decided to amend the city’s administrative code to allow Hagan to purchase K-9 Igor in return for funding for a replacement police dog and training for the dog and another office. Igor will be joining the family for Christmas.
The family will purchase Igor from the Shaker Heights Police Department for $16,500 which will go towards training another dog and another officer. The vote was passed unanimously.
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Outrageous making the officer pay to train his human replacement! And pay to get the dept another dog. I have NEVER seen any police dept do this. 7 years is about the age most police and military dogs are retired especially GSD because of the hip problems most get. I know they got 10K in donations to buy the dog but charging another 6,500K to train a person to be cop, why is that the ex officers duty?
AWESOME!
THIS WAS THE “ONLY” RIGHT THING TO DO!
I am very glad it worked out. It’s awful to have to leave a special buddy (with such a long relationship history) behind…….
I hope the whole family has a wonderful Christmas together🎄🎄🎄