After seven years of serving Johnson County, a K9 officer for the Lenexa Police Department is retiring from the force. Having racked up hundreds of deployments and drug finds, Kobi, a 10-year-old Dutch Shepherd, served his last shift on July 5. His partner officer Sgt. Rich Sanchez got to formally announce the end of his final day of duty over the police dispatch. For Sanchez, it was tough making the call, but after Kobi suffered some hip issues and his sense of smell lost its sharpness, it was time to let him be a civilian dog. “I know he could still do it today. But it’s really not fair to the dogs to keep working, especially when their nose is starting to go, and we’re starting to see some of those medical issues,” he said. In Kobi’s time with the Lenexa Police Department, he was sent out 589 times, making 211 narcotics finds and 28 criminal apprehensions, according to the Lenexa Police Department. Kobi made a name for himself by having a keen sense of smell and the ability to track down suspects. “If there’s anyone that needs to be found — burglars, robbers, rapists, murderers — Kobi is the dog you want,” Sanchez said. “That’s what he’s geared toward. Dogs, they all have different drives, and his hunt drive is very finely tuned.”
Source: Johnson County Post
