Waite Park Police Dog Retires After 10 Years Of Service

WAITE PARK -- A furry member of the Waite Park Police Department is retiring after 10 years of service.

Dino started his police dog career at the St. Cloud Police Department before landing a job as Waite Park's top K9 in 2007.

He worked along side Officer Brad Thelen, who passed away last February. Dino was partnered with Officer Derek Whitehead for a short time before finishing his career with Officer JoAnna Bigler.

Most police dogs work for five to seven years before retirement. Police Chief, Dave Bentrud says, "Dino had a great career and was one of a kind."

Dino will spend his retirement with Bigler who bought him from the department for one dollar.

Waite Park Police still has one police dog named Kato, who is currently paired with Whitehead. There are currently no plans in place to replace Dino.