A noted Nanaimo police service dog has stepped down from active duty.
Boomer, a purebred German shepherd with police services, who worked with handler Const. Clay Wurzinger, officially retired last month, according to a Nanaimo RCMP press release.
Boomer and Wurzinger were involved in numerous arrests and notable events.
In 2014, the two helped track and arrest a suspect following a report of a violent assault of a young woman and vehicle theft at Vancouver Island University. They also tracked a suspect following a 2015 incident in which an off-duty police officer was pepper sprayed following a break-in at a business.
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Wurzinger and Boomer were also involved in locating a missing elderly woman in 2016. The woman had been missing in the Cowichan Valley for five days, but the two located her despite hot temperature and rough terrain. They received commendation for their efforts.
On their last night as partners, they captured a man wanted in relation to a number of break-and-enters and also tracked and captured a suspect wanted in relation to a stabbing.
Wurzinger is now training with his new partner Jerry, while Boomer will live out his days as the Wurzinger family pet.
“We were never the best-looking team, never the most polished, but we tried hard, trained hard, and gave it all we had every time the phone rang, and we were rewarded with success,” said Wurzinger in the press release.
