K9 Hunter, a Dutch shepherd who is almost 8 years old, has been with his partner Sgt. Dakota Smith since 2020.
The pair began their partnership in Calhoun County and moved to Jackson County in 2022. Hunter is what’s known as a dual purpose K9, and has spend his time in law enforcement tracking, apprehending suspects, and sniffing out narcotics.
According to Smith, Hunter has assisted in the seizure of over $1.1 million in illegal narcotics, as well as tracking for many, many miles.
After several years together, Smith began realizing it may be time for his loyal partner to retire.
“I started noticing his gait was a little different,” he said.
Law enforcement can be hard on the body - even a four-legged body - and doing right by Hunter was the most important thing.
“He’ll be eight next month, and dual purpose dogs, they usually retire between eight and 10,” said Smith. “Criminal apprehension is hard on their necks. With dual purpose, they do a lot of jumping, clearing barricades. So he started to get arthritis in his front For Hunter, training has faded into play as he settles into a cozy life at home.
knees.”
The K9 was also diagnosed with a bowel disorder, which is manageable but likely to recur.
It’s not all lazing around on the sofa, though. Hunter is a Dutch Shepherd, bred and trained for an active, driven life, so he still needs quite a bit of enrichment and activity. Fortunately, he has plenty to keep him occupied.
“He loves his Kongs and his tugs,” said Smith. “And he has four goat friends.
The goats think they’re like him, and he thinks he’s one of them. The goats chase him. He chases the goats. It’s just an all day ordeal. I also have four kids, so they keep him entertained.”
There aren’t plans for another K9 unit in the immediate future, but Smith said that doesn’t mean Jackson County will be without the service. Multiple surrounding counties and the Texas Department of Public Safety have K9 officers, and are happy to collaborate when needed.
As for Sgt. Dakota Smith, working without his partner is definitely a change of pace, but he’s adjusting to the new normal.
