Moment Ohio Officer Reunites with Beloved K9 Dog After Being Allowed to Keep Him Is Everything
On Friday the city of Shaker Heights announced it had reached an agreement with former Shaker Heights Police Department officer Chad Hagan to let his K9 partner Igor return home with him.
This development came after a change in a Shaker Heights city ordinance, which previously barred officers from gaining custody over their canine officer companions once they left the department.
Just watching the reunion between these two is so heartwarming. You can tell their bond is incredibly strong and they obviously need to be together.
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Chad's wife, Danielle Hagen, posted the wonderful news on the Facebook group " Bring K9 Igor Home." Danielle shared, "Our man Igor is coming home! From the bottom of our hearts, we can not thank all of you enough. I truly believe we would have not had this outcome without the help and support we have received. Between this page, the messages, prayers, petition, and gofundme, we have been overwhelmed with love. We honestly can not say thank you enough. Igor will be picked up in a few hours when the kennel opens and there will be many pictures and videos taken. I promise to post them and of course send updates of Igor! He has a warm bath, steak dinner, and all the love and cuddles coming his way tonight. We are over the moon excited."
Why Igor Was Finally Allowed to Return Home
Police1.com explains, "In November, Hagan submitted his request to transfer police departments to one that is closer to his home in Brunswick, where he lives with his wife and 1-year-old daughter."
Hagan had offered $10,000 to the city of Shaker Heights to purchase Igor but his request was denied because the city said it had "no authority to sell the animal."
This decision prompted a lot of public backlash , including online petitions and the GoFundMe page which helped raise money for Igor.
The Shaker City Council scheduled a special session on Friday where the city ordinance was amended and Hagan was allowed to purchase Igor. The new amendment states that an officer may be permitted to take ownership of their canine if they provide money for the purchase of a replacement police dog; training for the dog and a police officer handler; and all associated costs, as determined by the chief of police and finance director of the City.
It's so wonderful these two best friends are reunited in time for the holidays. There's just nothing better than a happy ending, especially between two heroes we are committed to protecting and serving their communities. Congrats Igor and Officer Hagan!
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