Texas K-9 retires after nearly a decade of service, gets heartfelt 'thank you' from law enforcement
A K-9 who made a significant impact on a Texas community has hung up his badge after nearly a decade of dedicated service.
K-9 Indy was born in Hungary in April 2014, Fox News Digital learned. He was brought to the U.S. in 2015 to be paired with Sergeant Barry Sullivan as a working dog for the Trophy Club Police Department.
The North Texas law enforcement pair have been attached at the hip since they met — which made Sullivan emotional during Indy’s recent last shift.
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In a sweet moment caught on the officer’s dashcam, Sullivan and Indy can be seen listening to Indy’s retirement announcement, which detailed the dog’s many accomplishments in his career. (See the video at the top of this article.)
In the video, a dispatcher can be heard thanking Indy for his service while listing the many successes he was responsible for in his nine years of service.
K-9 Handler Sullivan is seen getting emotional in an unexpected moment that he detailed to Fox News Digital.
"I was overwhelmed with emotion. K-9 Indy has been with me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," he said.
Sullivan and Indy have a special bond as they have worked and lived together since the start — something Sullivan said is unusual for most K-9s on the force.
"Unlike most K-9s, he had free range at my home. He followed me everywhere," he said, as most working K-9s live in an outdoor dog house at their handler's residence.
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The German shepherd’s long list of accomplishments are due to his extensive training in drug detection, tracking and apprehension, which is what Sullivan said makes him "truly unique."
Said Sullivan, "Indy had this remarkable ability to switch between being a serious, effective police dog when needed and being a friendly, lovable ambassador to the community."
While working at the Trophy Club Police Department, Indy helped to seize over five pounds of fentanyl, over 4,200 pounds of marijuana, over 34 pounds of methamphetamine, over 83 grams of cocaine and other substances.
He assisted with 21 illegal possessions of firearms, 44 criminal apprehensions or finds and helped to find $164,307 worth of drug money throughout his career.
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He also joined 11 SWAT Team deployments and participated in over 50 K-9 demos for public events, according to the police department.
"By not only curtailing criminal activity in our jurisdiction, but by aiding the many local, state and federal law enforcement agencies … K-9 Indy has impacted crime before it can get to our community," Sullivan said.
Indy was Sullivan’s first K-9 partner — and the officer told Fox News Digital that he couldn’t have gotten luckier with his "remarkable" companion.
"Words cannot begin to describe how much that dog means to me. No matter what I said or did, I could not prepare myself for the day he had to stay home and not go to work with me," he said.
Today, Indy is enjoying retirement by taking naps, stealing meatballs off the kitchen table and continuing to guard his home.
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"The only difference is that he doesn’t go to work with me anymore … and maybe he has gained a couple extra pounds in retirement so far … the treats and all," joked Sullivan.
The Trophy Club Police Department recently welcomed a new K-9 partner named Odin, who will also follow Sullivan’s watch.