Ohio Police Dog Igor Wins Retirement with Handler After $16,500 Offer

• Officer Chad Hagen, who served with the City of Shaker Heights Police Department, was initially denied permission to take his K-9 partner, Igor, after moving to a new force. He had offered $10,000 for Igor.
• Following public outcry, a petition, and a GoFundMe campaign, the police department accepted $16,500 to let Igor retire with Hagen. This amount will fund a new K-9 and training.
• The city law was amended to facilitate this arrangement, acknowledging the bond between Hagen and Igor and the public sentiment.

In a heartwarming turn of events, Officer Chad Hagen of Ohio has been allowed to retire his K-9 partner, Igor, a six-year-old German Shepherd, to live with him.

Initially, when Hagen, who had served five years alongside Igor at the City of Shaker Heights Police Department, moved to a new job, he was denied this request by Police Chief Wayne Hudson, despite offering $10,000. The refusal was based on the premise that Igor had several years of service left and city laws didn't permit such a transfer.

Photo by@Facebook/dailymail.co

However, following a significant public backlash, including a Change.org petition with 37,000 signatures and a GoFundMe campaign that raised $17,000, the city's stance changed. The law was amended, allowing Hagen to take Igor for $16,500, a sum that will be used to acquire and train a new police dog. This decision was met with joy and relief from Hagen's family and the public, who had rallied strongly for the duo's reunion, highlighting the deep bond between a K-9 and its handler.

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