Marana police purchase new K-9, two K-9s retire

Published: Mar. 16, 2016 at 10:07 PM MST|Updated: May. 11, 2016 at 11:30 PM MST
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TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - Marana police just bought a new dog to replace one of two K-9s retiring this week after long careers.

Rocco and Fany (pronounced fin-YEE) were honored at a retirement ceremony on Wednesday, March 16.

The new dog, named Back (pronounced Bock), is a three-year-old that will begin training with Marana police next week.

The Marana Police Department bought Back from its vendor in California.

Police said he was chosen because he will work best for the department.

Back cost $10,500, but police said the money came from drug seizures, not taxpayers.

Back will be a dual-purpose dog, like his K-9 partners, able to sniff out illegal drugs and to catch bad guys.

Police chose their new dog based on a 21-point test.

"The biggest one we're looking for for narcotics work is a high play drive. So if you have that dog that goes for a ball and comes back, goes for a ball and comes back, that's going to test high for us when go out there. The second thing we're looking for is prey drive, hunt drive, pack drive and actually bite drive or kill drive," said Bobby Derfus, Marana police officer and dog trainer.

When the dogs are bought, they're considered "green" or untrained, he said.

"When they get back here, we start about an eight-week program," Derfus said. "It's usually four weeks of patrol work which is suspect apprehension, building searches, area searches, high-risk stops, fenced commercial yards. Things like that. Then we start four weeks of narcotics training."

Officer Hayden Mosher said a K-9 is one of the best partners an officer could ever have.

"One thing I love about them is they're so dedicated. ... They are so loyal and they will do anything for you, anything we ask them to do. They don't understand fear. Everything is a game and it's fun to them," Mosher said.

Once he's trained, Back will be certified to go out on the street.

The retiring dogs will go home with their handlers, the people the dogs know best.

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