K9 Officer Receives Guard Of Honor As He Retires After Eight Years Service

May 09, 2020

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Occasionally, heroes even have four legs and a tail. Police dogs, or K9 units as they are now more commonly known, serve on the front line of our law enforcement and national security apparatus. K9 units protect our airports and train stations, participate in drug searches and seizures, and assist in everyday law enforcement activities.

Like their human counterparts, K9 units put their lives on the line to keep us safe and, just like human officers, deserve every honor when they leave the police force. A police department in California made news in 2018 when they gave one of their K9 units the honor of a lifetime upon his retirement to civilian life.

Bronx, a 9-year-old Belgian Malinois hound, proudly served the Bakersfield Police Department as a K9 unit. Together with his handler, Senior Officer Chris Dalton, Bronx served the people of Bakersfield for 8 years of dedication and honor, reports ABC News. With Officer Dalton at his side, Bronx served in both the department’s SWAT division and patrol division. Bronx was also trained to detect narcotics.

Having joined the Bakersfield Police Department in 2010, Bronx was one of the longest-serving K9 units at the agency. Sergeant Ryan Kroeker, the information officer for the department, praised Bronx as an asset, reports TheThings. In addition to finding bad guys, Sergeant Kroeker also said that Bronx is capable of finding many types of illicit substances.

Sergeant Kroeker also talked of the intense training Bronx underwent for two months before joining the Bakersfield Police Department. Officer Dalton and Bronx also undergo two days of training each month to be up to date on the latest strategies for police dogs. Under Officer Dalton’s tutelage, Bronx participated in numerous demonstrations at schools in the Bakersfield area. For his service to the department, Bronx has also been awarded many honors.

When Bronx’s final shift came to an end, the Bakersfield Police Department gave their beloved canine colleague the sendoff of a lifetime, standing shoulder-to-shoulder as an honor guard. In addition to many pats on the head, Bronx was given a lengthy applause for his years of service. Now that his labors are complete, Bronx enjoys a peaceful life with Officer Dalton and his family, who are proud to have such an amazing dog in their lives.

The Bakersfield Police Department’s farewell to Bronx shows how much K9 units mean to law enforcement personnel. Police officers with the department recognized how much Bronx had done for them and showed their appreciation by giving him an honorable goodbye. What do you think of his retirement from the Bakersfield Police Department?