Two of Douglas County's K-9 heroes will retire tonight at a Sheriff's Department meet and greet, held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the new Sheriff's Office Building. Charon has been the loyal partner of Deputy Clint Adams for five years. And Falco has been Deputy Josh Skinner's four-legged partner for two years.
Both are Belgian Malinois breeds and both were used for dual purposes: narcotics and patrol.
Charon will have to end his duties at the Sheriff's Department because he is eight years old and beginning to go blind.
Falco is only about six years old but has been diagnosed with a degenerative disease: bilateral valgus deformity.
"His front feet don't rotate right and he can't run without pain anymore," Lt. Michael Barnhill said, Douglas County Sheriff's Department. "It's just not fair to work a dog with pain."
After the retirement ceremony, there will be a K-9 Police Dog demonstration and meet and greet.
Both dogs will retire into the welcome hands and homes of their own handlers.
Deputies Adams and Skinner will be headed to a kennel in Pennsylvania soon, where they will train and bond with their new partners for four weeks. The dogs will then come back to Douglasville and do a little more training before they start chasing bad guys.
Related Douglasville Patch stories:
Police K-9 Profile: Josh and Falco
Police K-9 Profile: Clint and Charon
