Farmington Police Dog Forced to Retire

FARMINGTON, CT — A valued member of the Farmington Police Department will no longer be able to continue his duties, the department announced Monday on Facebook. Ryker, a German shepherd who has served the town since 2015, has developed a brain tumor that makes him unable to function as a police canine.

Officer Kyle Mortensen will maintain Ryker at his home, and he will resume solo patrol duties.

The canine team has completed countless hours of training together, spent all of their time patrolling and at home together, and answered many calls for service including drug searches, missing person searches, and apprehensions of suspects, police said.

• May 2015 - motor vehicle search for Plainville police. Indicated on a safe inside vehicle which contained several bundles of heroin.
• Sept. 2015 – Tracked and located a suspect in a wooded area on Batterson Park Road who had fled from a motor vehicle accident and implied to other operator he had a gun.
• Dec. 2015 - Located a burglary suspect hiding in the woods who fled upon officers' arrival to an alarm at a Cooke Street business.
• March 2016 - Track for a missing 78-year-old dementia patient in Canton. Located the subject in parking lot of a business.
• Jan. 2017 - Track for missing 12-year-old in Simsbury, and located the child in a wooded area.
• March 2017 - Track for suspects who fled a motor vehicle stop in Newington. Assisted in locating one hiding at Tilcon property.
• April 2018 - Located a suicidal male hiding inside a commercial building upon being deployed for building search.
• Oct. 2018 - Located a party, who fled from a motor vehicle accident, hiding in wooded area near Centennial apartments.
• Oct. 2019 - Assisted West Hartford police in locating car burglary suspects.