‘Whatever We Had to Do’: Ohio Police Officer Fights City to Keep Longtime K-9 Partner

An Ohio police officer has been reunited with his former K-9 partner after an emotional and costly battle with the local government.

Officer Chad Hagan of Shaker Heights had worked with Igor, a six-year-old German Shepherd, for five years before Hagan moved to a different police department to be closer to family, the New York Post reports.

Desperate to keep his K-9 partner, Hagan argued that Igor was nearing retirement and offered to buy him for $10,000 — a far cry from the normal $1 price for a retired police dog. However, he was “briskly shot down” by the department, which still wanted to keep Igor in its service.

After years of working closely together, Hagan said he had formed an unbreakable familial bond with Igor.

“It’s been so hard on him, just being away from his best friend,” his wife, Danielle, told Fox 8. “The dog he’s been with every day for the past five and a half years, it was a lot.”

The Hagans took the issue all the way up to the city council, which worked out well for the family.

Shaker Heights Police Department Chief Wayne Hudson attended the council meeting and recommended that an amendment be made to the current city law to allow still-fit-for-duty K-9s to be sold to their previous handlers for the price it would cost to replace them.

The amendment was passed by a unanimous vote while Hagan watched the session on Zoom. The officer was then informed that Igor’s ownership would transfer to him that very day.

Shaker Heights Mayor David Weiss said the city “genuinely appreciate[s] the love of animals that has inspired so many people from across the country and beyond to share their thoughts on this situation.”

“Our ordinance, which reflects long-standing state law and was known to Officer Hagan, did not provide the authority to address situations when a police officer leaves the department in advance of the retirement of their canine,” he added in a statement to the local outlet, going on to say, “Today’s Council action to amend the ordinance enables the amicable resolution reached today.” 

Hearing of Hagan’s love for Igor, community members raised nearly $13,000 to reunite the pair after the family created a GoFundMe page.

The Hagans paid $16,500 for the dog, which will fund the training of a new canine-officer pair.

The family’s lawyer told Fox 8:

On behalf of Officer Chad Hagan, Jr. and his family, I am pleased to announce that Hagan’s canine partner, Igor, will return home today thanks to the City of Shaker Heights’ willingness to work cooperatively to address the complicated matter and find a legal way to balance the desires of the Hagan family and responsibilities of the City.

“Officer Hagan, Igor and the rest of the Hagen family are truly grateful for all of the support they have received,” the attorney added.

The emotional reunion came with slobbery kisses and cries of joy from Igor, who had spent more than two weeks in a kennel when the Hagans were forced to surrender him upon moving.

Hagan expressed how happy he and his wife are “to have [their] family back for Christmas.”

“He was excited, he was jumping all over us,” Danielle said. “Well, he could care less about me, to be honest. He was jumping all over Chad, just very excited to see us.”

“Whatever we had to do to get Igor back was what we were going to do,” Hagan’s wife added, noting that the family “appreciates the city of Shaker Heights” for changing the rules to allow Igor into their home forever.