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K9 Hondo retires after six years of service

[Duluth, MN] Today, the Duluth Police Department officially retired K9 Hondo after six years of service. K9 Hondo retires at the age of seven.

K9 Hondo started working with the Department in 2015 as a dual-purpose K9, where he did patrol work, including tracking and building searches and explosives detection. After working in the dual-purpose role for a few years, it was apparent that his specialty was in explosives detection. K9 Hondo was then moved solely to explosives detection for large events, including Grandma’s Marathon, presidential and political visits, Tall Ships, and others.

“We would like to thank K9 Officer Rob Hurst for his service and dedication to this community,” said Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken. “K9 Hondo was a huge asset at large events and evaluating high-risk situations. We wish all him all the best in his retirement.”

“Hondo was reaching the age that is common for working dogs to retire, and the timing was right,” Officer Hurst said. “There is a close bond between us. It will be strange for a while not having him at work with me. However, our family looks forward to having Hondo at home and getting to spend more time with him as our family dog.”

The Duluth Police Department will evaluate opportunities to add more K9s to the Department. The next K9 school will not take place until February of 2022. The Department will continue these internal conversations and make a decision based on our needs later this fall.

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