UCF Police Department K-9 Buster was adopted Wednesday morning after having to be forced into early retirement just after only one month of service due to a medical condition.
Buster’s vet ran tests and took x-rays and found that Buster is suffering from Temporomanidublar Osteoarthritis, or TMJ, in both joints and has myositis of the jaw, according to UCFPD.
This will eventually cause Buster to not be able to fulfill the duties of police K-9 such as biting suspects and smelling narcotics.
The 21 month-old German shepherd joined UCFPD last November and just recently became certified with Officer Matt Scott in April after nearly 480 hours of training.
“Buster was my first dog. I’ve never owned a dog before. My family members have but I haven’t. Buster was a my first dog law enforcement wise and personally. It was good having a dog in the house and seeing his kinks and I’ll be able to take those experiences and apply those to the new dog,” said Officer Scott.
UCFPD was able to connect with a local family who has had German shepherds in the past and they were able to adopt Buster. Lori and Ralph Eagen who live in Osceola County were at the police department today to pick up Buster.
“We’re really looking forward to being with Buster. We’ve always loved German shepherds. He’ll be our fourth German shepherd. We lost ours last year and he’ll be the perfect match for us,” said Ralph Eagen. “And he needs someone to care for him. We look forward to doing so. He’s a wonderful dog and he gets along with our dog we have now,” Lori Eagen added.
According to UCFPD, Buster was purchased using money raised by the community through campus events and class fundraisers. Buster is still covered under warranty, so UCFPD will receive a credit toward a new dog. The department will spend about $3,000 extra for a fully-trained dog who can be certified and report for duty sooner. The additional money will come from the department’s K-9 fund.
