Canine officer Suki, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, seen with handler Matt Schlosser, is retiring after suffering a shoulder injury.

The Cullman Police Department has retired and honored a different breed of officer, who served the Cullman community on all fours.

Suki, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, served four years in the CPD K-9 unit, but after injury to her shoulder last summer in field trials, she has now been officially retired.

The canine officer’s most recent handler Matt Schlosser said he is proud to have had her serve by his side.

“We were together all the time,” he said. “I hated to see her get hurt.”

Schlosser is the K-9 unit officer with the most experience working with Suki. Schlosser and Suki’s tenure spans nearly three years.

During that tenure, the two collected plenty of accolades. K-9 officers and their companions participate in trials to test their effectiveness.

Suki is no stranger to excellence.

“She started off with Scott Sanford for about a year and a half,” he said. “Sanford finished first with her in the narcotics search at field trials. When I took her, we finished third in narcotics and first in total search at field trials.”

Suki’s touted performances were not unanswered in her enforcement career. Suki was responsible for narcotic searches, takedowns, school searches and tracking.

“She has several narcotics finds,” Schlosser said. “Her biggest bust is 30 grams of ice — that’s methamphetamines.”

On that 30 gram find, Suki also entered a vehicle the suspect was hiding in.

“He was hiding in a vehicle after a domestic violence call,” Schlosser said. “He was armed, and he wouldn’t comply with our demands.”

According to Sgt. Jason Mickle, retired police dogs usually take up residence with their previous handlers.

“A transition takes place when they retire,” Mickle said. “These dogs are bred and raised to be working dogs, and they don’t make good pets.”

Mickle added that the high energy of the dogs poses a problem to unprepared handlers.

“You never take the training out of the dog,” he said.

Schlosser, who is no longer a full time officer at the CPD after taking a role with the State Auditors, said he regrettably does not have the space to keep Suki.

She will be kept indefinitely at the police kennel and tended to by the department.

While Suki’s heroics leave large paw prints to fill, the Cullman City Council has approved for the department to acquire a new police dog to fill her vacancy.

“We’re excited about adding a new dog,” Assistant Chief of Police Craig Green said. “But we do appreciate the work Matt and Suki have done. Suki will enjoy the rest of her days in retirement, which is what we all look forward to.”

Green also said that the department was thinking of reviving an old tradition.

“We’re thinking about soliciting the public to name the dog,” he said.

 In the past, the police department has allowed local school children to name dogs in the K-9 unit.

Officer Jeff Lawson was selected to be the newest addition to the K-9 unit.

Mickle said that Lawson would undergo training later in the year at Kasseburg Canine Training Center in New Market. A dog has not yet been selected.

After observing Schlosser and Suki, as well as the department’s other K-9 units, Lawson said the work appears to be very rewarding.

“It’s almost like a child,” he said. “You want to see the dog do well.”

Lawson added that it was an unbelievable asset to the department and that it provided officers more opportunities to help the people of Cullman.