Ohio Officer Who Fought to Keep K-9 After Leaving Agency Surrenders the Dog

A Bedford Heights, OH, police officer and K-9 handler has reluctantly handed over his beloved furry partner to the police department.

Officer Ryan Kaetzel is leaving the department, and while he wants to take seven-year-old Bosco with him, city supervisors say the highly-trained animal belongs to the city. Kaetzel, who has been with the department since 2018, has worked alongside Bosco for the past five years and said Bosco is nearing a point in his career where he could retire, Fox 8 reports.

“Just unbelievable that I have to surrender my senior dog,” said Kaetzel. “That’s what I’m worried about him, he’s not going to have much longer, and I want him to spend his senior years with me.”

Kaetzel reluctantly gave up Bosco at the department around 6:30 a.m. During the exchange, he was surrounded by family and fellow K-9 officers, who came to show their support.

Kaetzel said when he announced he was transferring to another police department, discussions began about taking Bosco with him as his personal dog. He says Bedford Heights' police chief said he'd sell Bosco to Kaetzel for one dollar, but that deal collapsed when he sued the department on July 19 for unpaid overtime, WKYC reports.

Kaetzel believes Bedford Heights police keeping the dog from him is retaliation over the lawsuit.