Tuukka, former Ashland 'friendly search' police dog, will not return to duty

Norman Miller, MetroWest Daily News
·2 min read

ASHLAND — Tuukka, the Ashland police dog that killed another dog in December, will not be returning to duty, according to Town Manager Michael Herbert.

Tuukka, a 3-year-old German short-haired pointer, killed a small dog in a residence they both lived in on Dec. 1.

Tuukka was taken out of service during the investigation, but will not be put back on duty, Herbert told the Daily News

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“The dog has not been put down,” he said. “I’m glad we’re not going to have to put the dog down, but he will not be put back in service.”

More: Officers Tuukka and Ajax reporting for duty: Meet Ashland's dynamic K-9 police duo

Tuukka is what is known as a “friendly search” dog, meaning he was not used to track suspects or put into a situation where he would need to help with the apprehension of someone. Rather, he was supposed to be used to search for missing people or those at-risk. He was also trained as a narcotic search dog.

"Tukkaa," a friendly find tracking and drug detection dog that had worked with the Ashland Police Department, won't return to the force after he killed a smaller dog that also lived in his home. Town officials are trying to place the dog at a place where it can be a hunting dog.
"Tukkaa," a friendly find tracking and drug detection dog that had worked with the Ashland Police Department, won't return to the force after he killed a smaller dog that also lived in his home. Town officials are trying to place the dog at a place where it can be a hunting dog.

Tuukka lived with his handler, Officer Larry Rodkey. On Dec. 1, at Rodkey’s home, Tuukka escaped from what was supposed to be a secure area and killed a small-breed dog that belonged to another resident.

Tuukka is currently being held at the town kennels, but the town is working to place him into a “habitat” that is more suitable, Herbert said.

That would be where Tuukka could be used as a hunting dog, Herbert said.

“He has a prey drive, which (on the) one hand makes him good for his job, but on the other hand led to this situation occurring,” Herbert said.

Acting Police Chief Richard Briggs could not be reached for comment on whether the department would consider getting a new dog to replace Tuukka. The department has another police dog, Ajax.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Ashland MA police dog that killed other dog will not return to police force