After 376 Deployments and 126 Arrests, This Decorated YPD German Shepherd is Hanging Up His Badge

K-9 Zorro, a beloved YPD German Shepherd, is officially retiring after a tremendous eight-year career in law enforcement!

Record

Zorro tallied up a remarkable record for a police dog with 376 total deployments, 176 locates, and 126 arrests assisted! According to the YPD, Zorro bravely dived "headfirst into danger". By 2022, Zorro's handler Officer Brad Althauser was using specialized attic deployment equipment to safely deploy Althauser into attics and ceilings to track down hiding suspects.

A police dog is held on a leash

Additionally, Athauser after 14 years of service to YPD, will move on to another law enforcement agency. Althauser has decided to adopt Zorro and make him a permanent member of the Althauser family!

Many police dogs develop tight-knit bonds with their handlers and have been known to develop severe anxiety when apart from them after retiring from work. Zorro living with Althauser will hopefully preserve some sense of normalcy for him.

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Sendoff

The K-9 Foundation of Yakima Valley, which funds the police dog program, held a retirement party for the two of them. Zorro wore a Hawaiian shirt, and the department joked it would be his regular wear in his retirement!

Removing an asset like Zorro will prove difficult for Yakima Police Department who already has a small K-9 unit as it is. Massive time and financial investment will be necessary to find a replacement. As of 2024, the department only has 2 K-9 teams due to a manpower shortage!

Donate to the K-9 Foundation to help fund K-9 teams!