Mac has retired after five years of helping collect evidence, tracking suspects, and finding lost nursing home patients and children.
Officer Nick Severs is Mac’s handler. He had dreamed of being a K-9 handler since he was young and that working with dogs was something he always wanted to do.
Severs said the initial training with Mac lasted about a month – the same as human officers who join the department.
He also said they continually train, just like human officers.
But there are also differences. Severs said the biggest challenge was establishing the pecking order in the relationship.
“We’re at a point now where there’s no argument there. But when you’re young and new, that’s something you have to establish and be firm about. That comes with arguments, disagreements, bite marks, and so on,” he said.
Severs said dogs chosen to serve as K-9 officers have an alpha male mentality, so it takes time and consistency to establish who’s in charge.
Mac was born in Hungary. He was acquired by breeders in Indiana, and the Macomb department bought him from that kennel.
Severs and Mac were on call around-the-clock, and they helped back up other departments in the region. Severs said Mac helped them get guns and drugs off the streets and make the community safer.
But he most enjoyed working with Mac during demonstrations for schools, church groups, and others.
“This gives us an opportunity to bridge that police-to-public gap and kind of show them who we are under the uniform and give them an opportunity to interact with us,” Severs said.
Police Chief Jeff Hamer also enjoyed those interactions. He said Mac helped officers connect with children during events.
“I’ve literally seen children shy away from a uniformed officer, but then as the dog walks by, their eyes light up and they see the officer handling the animal and it really breaks down a barrier. For that it’s worth its weight,” he said.
Hamer said there are a couple reasons why Mac is being retired.
One is that Severs has been promoted to detective and will no longer be doing patrol work.
In addition, they didn’t want to work Mac until close to the end of his life.
“We wanted him to have a healthy retirement with his family,” the chief said.
That family is the Severs. Mac went home with Nick after their police shifts, and will live out his days with Nick, his wife, children, and other dogs.
“He’s a part of the family,” Severs said. “For him to come home and to know that he’s going to be able to live a healthy retirement is very rewarding.”
Severs and Hamer both credit community donations with making the K-9 program possible, and the program will continue. The department recently added a new K-9 officer named Jax, also a German shepherd.
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