After seven years of catching criminals and finding missing people, Ontario Provincial Police dog Maximus is retiring.
Maximus and his handler Sergeant Milan Matovski have successfully tracked 204 individuals during their time together, an Ontario Provincial Police record.
"There's criminal tracks that we do that we find bad guys and they're ok, we're happy to find them and help out our crime unit and everything else. But I guess the most rewarding tracks are when we locate missing people," said Matovski.
Together, the pair have tracked down a missing two-year-old and a missing 90-year-old.
Maximus will now go live with Sergeant Matovski and his family.
"I tried it yesterday, letting him inside my house, and it was like a tornado. He went in and goes into a drug search mode, he thinks he's looking for drugs and I had to let him outside," said Matovski. "He was just confused because he's never been inside my house before."
He said it will be a big adjustment but doesn't think it will take long. Two men from Chatham have been arrested after a break-in at a hydro substation in Lakeshore. June 14, 2019. (Photo courtesy of OPP)Provided by the OPP.
"Once you introduce a luxurious lifestyle where he is just being pampered and fed and he doesn't have to do anything, it comes instantly within a couple of days he'll be adjusted," said Matovski.
The search for the next police dog for the Essex County OPP is currently underway. The detachment will rely on nearby canine units until a new team is trained.