Colorado K-9 Spared from Being Euthanized Over Behavior Issues, Will be Rehomed

A dog in the Denver Sheriff’s Department K-9 unit who was slated to be put to sleep later this week has been saved after public concerns.

Denver7 Investigates received a tip from an insider with concerns that a member of the sheriff’s department’s K-9 unit named Riggs was going to be euthanized. In an interview Wednesday, Sheriff Elias Diggins said he made a decision late Tuesday to make sure Riggs would not be put down.

Riggs, a Belgian Malinois, was certified in November 2023 to serve in the department’s explosive and narcotics division. He is one of five dogs in the unit, according to the department’s website.

Diggins said that Riggs had displayed some behavior issues such as growling and snapping with his handler's family. This was going to cut his time in the K-9 unit short.

Diggins said that after learning about the issue, the department believed the best choice was euthanasia.

Now that the dog has been spared, the department’s K-9 handlers are working with partners in law enforcement to find rescues that work with law enforcement dogs.