A dog named Maggie was adopted from a shelter and returned twice before she became something much bigger… the newest K-9 of the Owego Police Department in New York. Officer Andrew Pike, Maggie’s partner, says “there’s no better partner” when it comes to Maggie, despite how different she is from other K-9s. K-9 police dogs are usually upwards of $10,000 that come from overseas, but Maggie was a pure stray dog.
The Southern Tier Police Canine Association takes in shelter dogs, trains them, and then places them for free. Sergeant Rick McCulskey, president of the Southern Tier Police Canine Association, talks more about this in-depth. “We’re matching up with departments who can’t afford to have a dog on their own,” he reveals.
Maggie, a homeless stray, became the newest K-9 recruit
After working with Maggie, Pike reveals that he doesn’t think he’ll ever want to work with a human partner again. “Probably not after this. I mean, it’s going to take a pretty special human to replace her.” Maggie was apparently returned each time from her potential family because of her high-energy levels, making her difficult to have in the home. Fortunately, that made her perfect for police work! K-9s are often used for seeking out missing people, explosive devices, and drugs.
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