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July 16, 2008
Petaluma Argus-Courier
PO Box 1091
Petaluma, CA 94953
Managing
Editor Chris Samson:
The
Petaluma Police Department recently lost a well-loved member of our
canine unit
- Max - and it's important that the community understand why. This was
a unique
and tragic situation. Our officers become very close to the dogs who
live and
work with us. In all other Petaluma cases, retired dogs live out the
rest of
their days with their handlers, their best friends. Unfortunately, this
wasn't
possible with Max.
Max
served Petaluma well for five years. He was highly trained, had a
distinguished
career and was well regarded both inside and outside the department. We
expected him to continue working for several more years, and although
Max was
not involved in any bad behavior or conduct on patrol or with members
of the
public, to our dismay, Max began showing signs of a psychological
disorder in
training. A few months ago, he began biting handlers and trainers. His
behavior
became erratic and unpredictable while continuing to decline. He was no
longer
controllable by his handler, and therefore was no longer an effective
working
police dog who also did not meet standards of safety for the public.
Max
was removed from duty and examined by our veterinarian and behavior
experts,
and the consensus was that his condition was not reversible, would
continue to
decline and that he had become a risk to the public's safety. Max was
not
adoptable, as rescue shelters we are aware of ultimately seek to place
their
animals in homes or with families, which was not an option with Max. After seeking other solutions, we made the
impossible decision to have him euthanized. His handler, Rick Cox, was
at his
side. Max’s ashes remain with Rick and
his family.
That
was the responsible thing to do, but it was very difficult on all of us
at the
Police Department, and particularly for Officer Cox. Max was a member
of his
family and it will take time for them to recover from his loss. The
canine
program is something we are very proud of in Petaluma and we've
appreciated the
community's support for it. We are all deeply saddened by the events
that led
to Max’s death but he lives on in our hearts.
Steven Hood
Chief of Police
Petaluma Police Department
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