After years of service, 28 canine officers of the Federal Police will retire and spend the last years of their lives with families who have been selected to suit the dogs’ needs.

The 28 families were chosen by the Mexican Canine Federation (FCM) from 7,000 people who applied to adopt the dogs. They were to arrive at their new homes on Saturday.

Oswaldo Alfaro, a veterinarian and FCM board member, told the news agency Notimex that the selection committee took various considerations into account to choose the families, including the ages of family members, the size of their homes and their economic status.

Alfaro noted that the dogs can live the normal life of a pet in spite of the demanding training and work they have performed. However, because of the dogs’ advanced ages, the FCM prefers them to be adopted by families made up of adults because children often prefer dogs to be more energetic and playful.

In a retirement ceremony, the dogs were given ribbons in recognition of their service, and their Federal Police vests were removed.

The force has been putting its retired dogs up for adoption since 2016 following changes to a law requiring that police dogs be euthanized at the end of their service. Since then, 71 retired police dogs have been adopted.

The Federal Police currently have 136 canine officers which, along with the rest of the force, will be incorporated into the National Guard over the next year.

Fabiola Chávez was one of those chosen to give a new home to a retiring dog. Last November, Kafu, a German shepherd trained to detect currency and drugs, moved in with Chávez, who said the transition had been easy for the dog, although it suffered from anxiety and required daily walks.

“He had the rank of commander, so we still call him Commander Kafu. He’s a very big and anxious dog, but we’ve adapted to him, and we love him very much,” she said. “I’m very proud to have him, because he’s a dog who has faithfully served the police, and now he’s my friend and companion. I like to show him off on the street.”

Source: El Financiero (sp)