OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A recently retired Osceola County Sheriff’s Office K-9 will not be euthanized after biting his former handler’s young daughter.
Channel 9 confirmed Thursday that K-9 Recon will instead be transferred to a rescue organization, where he will live out his retirement.
Recon had faced euthanasia as soon as Aug. 23 because of the severity of the child’s injuries.
The girl’s mother said her daughter has recovered and that she did not want Recon put down.
Bite reported after Recon’s retirement
Recon was honored earlier this summer with a send-off recognizing his years of service with the sheriff’s office.
The day after his retirement and eighth birthday, however, Recon was involved in a serious incident at his former handler’s home.
According to county documents, a 911 call came in June 5 reporting that a child had been bitten by a dog.
The girl’s father, an Osceola County deputy and Recon’s former handler, told first responders that his daughter suffered multiple puncture wounds.
The deputy was at work when the child’s grandmother let Recon into the backyard, according to the report.
When Recon came back inside, investigators said he jumped onto the girl’s bed and startled her. The girl screamed, and Recon bit her in the upper right shoulder and armpit area, the report said.
Recon was taken to Osceola County Animal Services and placed in quarantine.
Rescue groups offered to help
County officials said Florida’s dangerous dog law could have required Recon to be euthanized because of the severity of the girl’s injuries.
As officials considered Recon’s fate, rescue organizations offered to help save him.
Big Mac’s K9 Rescue posted a plea on Facebook asking officials to consider Recon’s history and the circumstances surrounding the bite before making a final decision.
“We also ask that those reviewing Recon’s case consider the unique circumstances surrounding this incident,” the rescue wrote.
The organization acknowledged the seriousness of the attack but asked officials to also consider Recon’s years of service and the possibility of placing him with an experienced former handler.
“While this does not excuse what occurred, we hope these circumstances, along with his years of dedicated public service and the willingness of a former handler to help transition him, will be carefully considered before any irreversible decision is made,” the organization wrote.
Recon will live out his retirement
Channel 9 confirmed that Recon will now be released to a rescue group instead of being euthanized.
“We ere extremely fortunate just a few days ago to find a legal pathway,” said Lee Massie, public safety director for Osceola County.
“Recon will be turned over, the ownership will be turned over to Big Mac’s K-9 services, and they will be able to take Recon to a facility, to an environment that’s going to allow him to grow in his retirement and be able to enjoy the life that he has not deserves, but has absolutely earned by his service to this county,” Massie said.
“So we specialize in, retired canines, military police, whatever. When they come out, they come to a decompression program with us and, get reintegrated back into, like, a family style life or something. It’s very important. These dogs need to decompress, especially after the years of service and everything. It’s very tough for them to come right off and become into a household,” said Tim McCoy with Big Mac’s Canine Rescue.
Additional details about which organization will take Recon and when he will be transferred have not yet been released.
Questions remain about how Recon was transferred to his former handler and what procedures the sheriff’s office follows when police K-9s retire. Channel 9 was told that new policies are being developed.
Channel 9 has requested additional information from Osceola County and will update this story as more details become available.
Osceola County provided the following statement:
“Following a thorough investigation, Osceola County Animal Services determined that retired Osceola County Sheriff’s K9 Recon met Florida’s statutory designation as a dangerous dog following an unprovoked June 9 attack that severely injured a minor and required more than two dozen stitches.
Animal Services did not create the circumstances that led to this incident, and the County deeply appreciates the outpouring of support in recognition of Recon’s invaluable service to our community. From the moment he arrived at Animal Services, the County worked to find a solution that complied with Florida law and served the best interests of Recon and the community.
The safety and well-being of every animal entrusted to our care remains the priority of the Board of County Commissioners and Animal Services. Long before concerns regarding Recon were raised publicly, County staff were already working to identify a safe and meaningful path forward that would give him the opportunity to live out his retirement.
Despite repeated attempts to engage Recon’s owner, he has remained unresponsive. While he has until August 22 to appeal the County’s final dangerous dog determination, the County has taken the extraordinary step of determining Recon to have been abandoned and is retiring him to Big Mac’s K9 Rescue, where he can live out the remainder of his life peacefully.
The County is grateful to have finally secured an outcome fitting of Recon’s service while fulfilling its responsibility to protect the public and follow Florida law."
Tyler Winik
Director of Communications
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