Austin K9 Officers EmBARK On Retirement

AUSTIN, TX — A trio of Austin officers are retiring next week, and members of the public are not only invited to salute them but maybe even give a not unwelcome, friendly pat on the head. These are police K9s, after all.

The Austin Police Department and Junior League of Austin invite the public to celebrate the retirement of canines Raggio, Emma and Horrigan on Monday, May 20, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. The ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Junior League of Austin, 5416 Parkcrest Drive, Suite 100.

The APD provided descriptions of each retiree:

K-9 Raggio was obtained in November 2011 through the Department of Defense Military Working Dog (DOD MWD) program out of Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. K-9 Raggio was named in honor of 9/11 hero, Port Authority Supervisor Eugene Raggio, who gave his life re-entering the Twin Towers to rescue people during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. During his career, K-9 Raggio had more than 600 deployments. He is currently enjoying retirement at home with Officer Clint Hamilton and his family.

Photo courtesy of Austin Police Department.

K-9 Emma was also obtained through the DOD MWD program out of Lackland AFB San Antonio, Texas. She came to Austin Police in April of 2012. K-9 Emma enjoys retirement at home with Officer Arthur Nelsen and his family.

Photo of K9 Emma courtesy of Austin Police Department.

K-9 Horrigan is named in honor of Master Sergeant Robert Horrigan (KIA 2007, US Army): Assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. On June 17, 2005, MSG Horrigan and MSG Michael McNulty stormed a known compound of Abu al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida leader in Iraq. Horrigan and McNulty were the first to enter the doors of the compound when they were hit by an enemy ambush. When they were shot by enemy fire, the call for help went out immediately, “TWO EAGLES DOWN.” Horrigan died instantly from his wounds and McNulty died a few hours later. Horrigan was a 40-year-old Austin resident. During K-9 Horrigan’s service with the Austin Police Department Bomb Squad, he received more than 960 hours of training, including certifications with the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association (NNDDA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Pacesetter K-9.

K-9 Horrigan has had more than 300 deployments over the course of his career. He has performed motorcade and protective sweeps for countless foreign and domestic dignitaries to include two US presidents, as well as former presidents and presidential candidates. Each year K-9 Horrigan has provided bomb and security sweeps for the City of Austin during our parades and festivals. He has worked five SXSW, ACL and COTA F1 races. Media Advisory: Please call APD PIO if you plan to attend.

Photo of K9 Horrigan courtesy of Austin Police Department.