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Thursday, September 17, 2015

Md. K-9 officer fights to get retired dog back

WASHINGTON — He called his K-9 partner his best friend. And now, after working together for four years, that partnership is over.

Officer Gil Fones with the Montgomery County Police Department says the dog he worked with, a Belgian Malinois named Chip, has been retired from the force. But what really pains Fones is that he wasn’t allowed to keep the retired K-9. Instead he was told to surrender the dog, which has been placed with a rescue organization that specializes in rehoming police and military dogs.

Montgomery County police Capt. Paul Starks says Chip’s well-being was a priority in the decision to retire the dog. Starks told WTOP that police had “concerns regarding the welfare of the dog, the handler the community and the handler’s family.”

Fones, Chip’s handler, has six adult children.

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like he rewarded the dog too many times for biting suspects, until the dog would bite for a reward, without being prompted. Another officer that had a penchant for "excessive force" when subduing suspects. If he would use the dog that way, they better keep an eye on him, the officer. He is probably a liability to the Montgomery County Police Department. The dog bites are only a symptom of the problem. The dog is not the problem, or it wouldn't be in a rescue and rehoming program. The human handler was/is the problem.

Anonymous said...

these dogs are too unpredictable. Military dogs and canine dogs for the police they all need to be laid down after service.this was a normal practice in the military.

Anonymous said...

Never was his dog , gov't. property.