Racine County sheriff's K-9 'Friday' retires
Racine County Sheriffs Office K-9 Friday retires
RACINE, Wis. - The Racine County Sheriff's Office on April 1 announced the retirement of K-9 Officer "Friday" after 11 years of service.
"Friday has earned his retirement with me and my family, but he is not going to like it because he loves to do his job," said Deputy Drewitz. "He was an awesome partner, and he will continue to be a great dog."
Friday is a Belgian malinois and German shepherd mix that was born in Hungary in 2011. As a puppy, he was paired with Drewitz and was put into service on April 1, 2012.
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The sheriff's office said Friday was certified in narcotic detection, evidence/article search, building search, tracking, handler protection and criminal apprehension.
In 2019, the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Canine Handler Association awarded Deputy Drewitz and Friday the "K9 Handler of the Year" and the "Narcotics Find of the Year" awards.
In addition to patrol duties, Drewitz and Friday assisted the Racine County Metro Drug Unit and SWAT Team in executing search warrants for drug houses and high-risk felons.
The sheriff's office K-9 unit has six other dogs, and the program is funded through community contributions. Anyone interested in making a donation should contact Sgt. Troy Ruffalo or Sgt. Joe Patla.
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Statement from Sheriff Christopher Schmaling:
"I am always amazed when I see this happy dog at some community event laying on the ground allowing the children to pet him, and then I will hear later in that same shift Deputy Drewitz deployed K-9 Friday up on the interstate and they located a large amount of drugs.
"These dogs are an amazing law enforcement tool, and Deputy Drewitz and K-9 Friday are the gold standard of K-9 teams. Their training and dedication to excellence provided an incredible service to the community. K-9 Friday, please enjoy your well-earned retirement with your best friend, Eddie!"