By Herald staff
After years of serving – or, in one case, deciding police work wasn’t for him – two members of the Chattanooga Police Department’s K-9 Unit are settling into retirement.
K-9 Burt, an 11-year-old Belgian Malinois, retired following a decade-long career that included helping apprehend hundreds of violent offenders, recovering illegal firearms and detecting millions of dollars in illegal drugs and currency.
K-9 Duke’s tenure was considerably shorter. After months of training, Duke made his own preference clear: He’d rather be a family dog.
Together, their departures offer two very different endings to careers with the CPD.
A decade on duty
Burt spent his entire 10-year career alongside his handler, MPO Luke Timmons, an unusually long partnership in police K-9 work.
During that time, Burt assisted every local law enforcement agency as well as several federal agencies, according to CPD. His work included tracking and apprehending violent offenders and helping officers locate illegal firearms.
As a narcotics detection dog, Burt was responsible for locating more than $3 million in illegal narcotics and currency over the course of his career. In three separate cases, he located more than 1,000 fentanyl pills.
“K-9 Burt exemplified the courage and reliability that every handler hopes for in a partner,” Timmons says. “What makes me most proud is that no officers were ever injured by suspects during any of Burt’s deployments.”
Burt’s abilities also earned him recognition outside Chattanooga.
He was named the United States Police Canine Association Regional Top Dog in both narcotics detection and dual-purpose certifications. At the association’s Detector Dog Challenge, Burt took first place in the room-search portion of the competition.
His shot at the overall title, however, ended for a decidedly ordinary reason: During the vehicle search, Burt stopped for a bathroom break.
Even elite police dogs have their limits.
In 2020, Burt received another honor when Spike’s K-9 Fund named him its inaugural K9 of the Year. The recognition followed Burt’s apprehension of a violent gang member who was hiding in the attic of a residence.
Duke chooses a different career
Duke’s story with CPD took a much different turn.
Despite months of extensive training, Duke consistently showed little interest in becoming a working police dog, according to the department.
His preferred occupation was apparently much simpler: family pet.
Rather than force a career that wasn’t a good fit, the K-9 Unit retired Duke early and placed him in a “loving home,” says the CPD in a news release.
Duke had been purchased using grant funding, and CPD says all grant requirements were satisfied before his retirement.
While Duke never compiled the lengthy résumé of his fellow retiree, the department still considers him part of the CPD family.
CPD credited the handlers, families and community members who support its K-9 Unit and thanked both dogs for their time with the department.
For Burt, retirement closes a decade spent tracking suspects, finding drugs and accompanying Timmons into potentially dangerous situations.
For Duke, it means finally landing the job he wanted all along.
Both now have the same assignment: enjoying retirement.