LA PORTE, Texas – After seven years of service, a canine officer is retiring from the La Porte Police Department, according to an announcement Tuesday from LPPD officials announced Tuesday.
Lodka, a Belgian Malinois, and her handler, Officer Jesse Arenivas, have been instrumental in the seizure of vast quantities of both narcotics and their cash-related proceeds since the canine joined the force in 2009, officials said.
Recommended Videos
The duo have competed in several state and regional drug-dog competitions during their tour together, including the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association narcotic detection competition. Lodka and Arenivas had a first place win at the NNDDA training conference in 2010.
While the department would love to have the team remain active indefinitely, Lodka will now live with Arenivas as a retiree.
“Both the La Porte Police Department and her entire community are in debt to Lodka for seven years of outstanding service,” deputies said in the release.
Investigators said Lodka was diagnosed with a degenerative arthritic condition in the right elbow, as well as both hip joints in April 2013. The diagnosis restricted her to drug interdiction and barred from activities involving running, such as suspect tracking.
Doctors said Lodka could stay active on the force for two years with specialized treatment and medication. La Porte officials said she beat expectation by a year.
“Although Lodka remains of major value to her partner, Arenivas, fighting crime is no longer feasible for the canine,” La Porte officials said in a release.
As such, the Citycity has officially retired Lodka and the ArenivasArenivases’ residence will serve as a permanent retirement villa for one of the agency’s hardest workers in history.