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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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