A K9 officer with the Appleton Police Department is being forced to retire due to a medical condition.
K9 Onyx joined the department five years ago and has been a valued member of the law enforcement team, but he has since been diagnosed with Progressive Retinal Atrophy.
This is an inherited eye disease that leads to blindness in dogs.
The Appleton Police Department says Onyx is otherwise doing fine, but “the condition prevents him from continuing his duties as a police K9.”
His handler, Officer Rieth, will be heading to New Mexico this month begin training with a new K9 partner, but he is not abandoning Onyx.
In fact, Onyx will be spending his retirement at home with Officer Rieth and his family, where the Department ensures everyone “He will have plenty of time to enjoy a well-deserved retirement filled with walks, treats, attention and, most importantly, lots of love.”
