BEDFORD – Yesterday, July 17, the Board of Works acknowledged the retirement of the Bedford Police Department canine Maximus after eight years of service.
Maximus, known as Max, served with the Bedford Police Department for eight years, proving a valuable asset and team member.
Since his Handler Major Jesse Crane is moving to another position in the force outside of Bedford, it was decided to retire Max instead of assigning him to another handler. Police dogs are usually retired after 9-10 years of service, but the decision to retire him early makes sense.
“After being with one handler for so long, it doesn’t work well to assign the dogs to a new handler for a year or two,” explained Chief Terri Moore. Because the dogs grow so attached to their handlers, the re-training and adjustment to a new one “isn’t fair to the dog,” especially if there’s only a year or so left of service.
Chief Moore went on to explain that Max will be going to live with his handler. Major Jesse Crane will take responsibility for his care, any vet visits, or other things that may arise. After years of working together, Max will get to remain with his handler, and probably his favorite person.
This retirement leaves the Bedford Police Department with one remaining police dog, Zazu.
Police Chief Moore said they will be looking to replace Maximus, “When the time is right.” They are not going to rush the process. “We have our resources and training centers who breed and train dogs specifically for service.”
The process of finding a new police dog takes time and care since the police try to find a good match in personality between the dog and their handlers. It’s common practice for the dogs to remain with their handlers once their service is over.
