COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado Parks and Wildlife held a ceremony Friday to honor a retiring K-9 and to pin a badge on a new dog joining Parks and Wildlife as part of the wildlife management team.
The event also marks a transition from a multi-year pilot K-9 initiative to one that is official.
“Proven that overall, it's been very successful, to the point the agency has decided that this is so efficient and so helpful to our agency that we're moving to a statewide program,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Assistant Chief, Jim Hawkins.
Dogs can help catch poachers using their noses to find remnants of dead animals and evidence like spent shell casings.
The retiring K-9 Sai has helped apprehend fleeing criminals.
Most of time, his partner duties help the human side of the partnership maintain control of interactions with the public.
“Sci, just being with us, that K-9 presence really helps set the tone for a contact,” said Philip Gurule, Sci’s Handler and CPW, District Wildlife Manager.
Over his years of service Sai also showed the value K-9s offer to managing and preserving Colorado wildlife.
Moments after Sci’s retirement another dog named Sage got her badge as the newest part of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife K-9 program.
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