Sandusky Police K-9 Gunner retires after nearly 8 years of service

SANDUSKY, Ohio (WOIO) - Sandusky Police K-9 Gunner officially retired from the department on March 30 after serving the city for nearly eight years.

Gunner was born on Aug. 20. 2012, near Berlin, Germany and trained for a year and a half in a Schutzhund training program, SPD said.

SPD said Ofc. Estep and K-9 Trainer Bob McDowell picked up Gunner at the Detroit airport in July of 2014.

Ofc. Estep and K-9 Gunner had been been a team ever since.

The duo got to work with training for Gunner’s initial certification in September of 2014.

“Gunner has been an excellent police K-9 and an even better partner to Ofc. Estep,” according to SPD.

SPD said he helped successfully track down several wanted suspects, and find drugs and money forfeitures.

The total amount of drugs and drug money Gunner had a hand (or paw) in seizing over his nearly eight-year career is unknown since he assisted in investigations by agencies all across Northern Ohio and the DEA, SPD said.

The police department gave the community a snapshot of what Gunner is like when he is not tracking down drugs or suspects:

“His temperament has been very enjoyable. For the most part, he is just a gentle, fun-loving dog, but he knows when it’s time to be serious at work. Gunner has made many friends at SPD and is known to ‘make his rounds’ throughout the day at the police department. He enjoys saying hello to everyone that walks into the patrol room and gets visits throughout the day from other city employees, most notably and consistently, the court employees and our custodian, Stan, who all make it a point to come visit and give him a dog treat.”

SPD said thanks to Gunner’s “calm temperament” that allowed him to be active in the community, he was enjoyed by schools and many local community outreach programs.

As for his retirement plans, police said “Gunner’s days will be filled with relaxation, running around the yard playing with his brother Bernie, enjoying the treats he didn’t get while he was a working dog, and coming to SPD to visit his friends.”

The police department shared this sentiment of how all will miss their four-legged colleague:

“Gunner will be missed by everyone at SPD. The sound of the patter of his paws echoing through the hallways will be sorely missed, mainly by his handler. However, Gunner will now be able to enjoy retirement and just be a dog running around the back yard chasing squirrels, taking naps, and eating some long overdue people food.”

Here are some photos of K-9 Gunner posted by Sandusky Police over the years: