‘I Fought Tirelessly to Get Her Back’: Former Michigan Cop Reunited with K9 Partner

A former Michigan police K9 handler has been reunited with his beloved partner after being separated for weeks.

Hayden Wildfong resigned from the Mason Police Department in January after an incident at the local high school in which he removed his gun belt while exercising in front of students. According to the City of Mason, Wildfong left his weapon unattended.

Wildfong was placed on leave and later forced to resign, but he told WILX10 that he was under the impression that he would be able to keep his canine partner, Tamarack.

Unfortunately, the city moved to keep Tamarack, arguing that Wildfong’s actions didn’t give him entitlement to the dog.

Public outcry ensued from Mason residents who heard of the forced separation, and many rallied for the pair to be reunited. 

The police department ended up not even keeping Tamarack, and ultimately surrendered her to the Ingham County Animal Shelter (ICAS). 

The ICAS made the happy announcement Tuesday that they had “already received an approved application from her former handler and tomorrow they will be reunited.”

“Tamarack is such an amazing dog. Thank you ICACS and Director Holly Guild for advocating for her,” one local, Heidi Williams, said. “I say it often, but Ingham County is so lucky to have the best shelter staff around!”

“Couldn’t have better news! Thanks for allowing the right thing to be done,” said Leah Mancuso, another Mason-area resident.

Shelter workers said that Tamarack had been anxiously waiting for Wildfong to walk through the building’s doors ahead of their emotional reunion Wednesday after two weeks apart. 

Footage captured by WINX10 shows the incredible moment when Wildfong was able to play with his heroic partner once again. 

“I fought tirelessly to get her back and this is a huge weight that’s been lifted off my shoulders,” the former officer told the outlet.

“This is one of the best feelings in the world, one of the best days of my life. I’ve put in countless hours of work with this dog, and we can finally close this chapter and move on,” he continued, before adding that the pair are “gonna play Frisbee until the sun comes up.”

“We’re gonna go home, and we’re gonna play Frisbee until the sun comes up in the morning, probably,” Wildfong said.

Mason Police Department has since discontinued their K9 program, meaning that there are no more K9 officers in the city.