A police agency in Mississippi says it’s demoting an officer after he dumped his retired K-9 partner at a local animal shelter.
Officer Carl Ellis took ownership of Ringo after the dog retired, WAPT reported. The dog spent nearly 10 years working for the police force as a narcotics dog.
Randy Hare, who had trained the K-9 at the Alpha Canine Traning center, later found out Ringo was at an animal shelter in Madison, Mississippi.
Hare noted that officers are expected to care for K-9 dogs after they retire from the force but he said that what happened to Ringo isn’t that uncommon.
“The treatment of dogs who are involved in law-enforcement is sometimes really, really good, and sometimes it’s not so good. A lot of times, they’re treated like equipment and when they’re treated like equipment, sometimes they’re disposed of like equipment,” Hare said.
The police department responded to the news that the dog was dropped off at an animal shelter.
“The Jackson Police Department respects and holds our canines with high regard just as we do any other officer within our department,” the department told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. “They are family, and we do not feel they deserve anything less than a loving home in retirement.”
According to WLBT, Ellis was reassigned to patrol duty by the department after it found out that he had abandoned the dog.
#JPD welcomes its newest officers to the force…canines, Angel and Nadia, reporting for duty!! We also congratulate…
“They are family, and we do not feel they deserve anything less than a loving home in retirement,” Roderick Holmes with the Jackson Police Department told the station.
Holmes said the Chief of Police has since implemented new measures which require quarterly welfare checks for all K-9 dogs. “Additionally, policy is currently being drafted that will address specific requirements related to retired canines and their welfare, so that they are provided with the best care possible,” an official told the Clarion-Ledger.
During the time of their retirement, Detective Anthony Fox stated: “They served the city very well. Hundreds of thousands of dollars, uncountable seizures with narcotics. They can be a dog now,” according to the Clarion-Ledger.
Other details about the dumping aren’t clear.
The news comes after two dogs were found along Interstate 81 near Whitney Point, about 16 miles north of Binghampton. New York State Police are now looking for the suspects.
The Humane Society said that “most reported animal cruelty comes in the form of neglect” and less is direct violence.
It notes, “Neglect, or a failure to provide basic needs for an animal, makes up the vast majority of cruelty cases that animal control officers respond to.”
“Neglect often includes hoarding, lack of shelter or veterinary care, tethering and abandonment, as well as other forms of abuse,” the organization said.
To report abuse, it adds, “Call your local animal control agency as soon as possible or dial 9-1-1 if you’re unfamiliar with local organizations. If you make a report of alleged animal cruelty, the responding agency is required to investigate.”
From The Epoch Times
