61 Years Old German Shepherd Retires From Duty To Live The Rest Of His Days As A Puppy!

K9 handler Patrick Hayes will definitely have to get used to driving his patrol car alone without his canine buddy Gango, a German shepherd.

You see, because 9 years old (61 years old in human years) Gango is retiring after more than seven years with the department. Hayes and Gango are so close, they’ve trained together, worked together and even lived together. In 2007, Gango Vom Salztalblick was born in Hesse, Germany and in 2009 he started working with Hayes.

“He’s trained to jump a 6-foot fence. Would you expect a senior citizen to jump a 6-foot fence?” Hayes said. Of course Gango will be living with Hayes and his family and instead of patrolling, he’d be checking out the chickens and playing in the backyard.

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“We’re family now. If Gango was taken somewhere else, it would break my heart,” Hayes said. As for Hayes’ wife Stefanie, “He’s been with Gango longer than I’ve known him!” Gango is also extremely gentle with their 11 month old daughter Madison.

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Gango and Hayes have met the Dalai Lama, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Clintons, former first lady Nancy Reagan and former first lady Laura Bush! Sheriff’s spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said, “A highlight of Gango’s career was when he helped locate a deaf teenager who had not come home from a bike ride in her neighborhood.”

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“Gango was able to track her scent from a bicycle helmet and shoes. He located her in the dark, alone and frightened. In another notable case, he sniffed out a handgun that was fired in the commission of a crime in a small compartment hidden underneath a vehicle.” Share away, people!

Feature Image Source: noozhawk