Roseville K9 to Retire Soon Due to Genetic Disease

Drago, an 8-year-old German shepherd, is a fun-loving family pet at home, but as soon as he gets into the police car, he becomes a fierce law enforcement service dog, his handler said.

After five years serving with his partner-in-crime-fighting Officer Ron Goodpaster, Drago the K9 will soon retire from the because of a genetic disease.

Drago was recently diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy, which is essentially multiple sclerosis for dogs, Goodpaster said. Degenerative myelopathy is a disease where the immune system attacks the lining of the spinal cord and eventually causes the dog to lose control of its hindquarter.

“There’s really no pain - basically his legs are going numb,” Goodpaster said. “When they can't walk anymore or when they lose control of their bodily functions – I don't even like thinking about it, but that's where we are going to draw the line – when he can't get up on his own.”

Although it has not gotten to that point yet, Goodpaster said it has gotten to the point where he knows Drago cannot continue for much longer as a service dog. Drago will work for three more weeks, then he will retire from the police department.

Service K9s usually live with their handlers from the time they become service dogs until they die, Goodpaster said. Drago will continue to live with Goodpaster after he is retired.

“He's our family pet,” Goodpaster said. “I've got kids and he lives in the house with us and they crawl all over him.”

While K9 veterinary expenses are covered by the police department while a dog is serving, once the dog is retired, the owner is responsible for all of the costs. Because there are no treatments for degenerative myelopathy, Goodpaster said the costs are not an issue for him.

The department, on the other hand, will have to pay a large sum of money in order to replace Drago.

According to Howard Stoltz, director and former president of the Foothills K9 Association, between the price of the actual dog and the price of training, a new K9 can cost a department up to $18,000.

The Foothills K9 Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 2005 dedicated to the health and safety of law enforcement K9s. The organization raises money to help with medical expenses, burial costs and replacement fees of K9s.

“Most of the dogs, if they do not get hurt on the job, stay healthy for about nine years and they retire,” Stoltz said. “But dogs also get diseases very similar to humans. German shepherds are particularly prone to hip dysplasia as well as other degenerative diseases.”

While the association does hold events to raise money for a general fund, Stoltz said it also sets up donation accounts for specific causes, such as the replacement of Drago.

“We try to take care of active as well as retired dogs,” Stoltz said. “We are always trying to raise funds.”

The Foothills K9 Association is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization so all donations are considered tax deductible on the donor’s income tax, Stoltz said.

Because Drago’s health condition digressed so quickly, the department had less time than usual to prepare for the purchase of a replacement service dog, Goodpaster said.

Goodpaster said the disease varies in how long it takes to immobilize a dog – it can take as little as six months from the first sign of symptoms to as long as five years.

“We’ve taken a lot of bad guys off the streets,” Goodpaster said. “I'm disappointed because he's a tremendous police dog. He and I as a team were just in our prime right now and I thought we'd have a couple more years.” 

Donations are being accepted online at the association's website here. Mention that you would like funds to go toward a Roseville K9 when making a donation.