TUKWILA, Wash. — Apollo, a drug-sniffing K9 with the Tukwila Police Department, has retired after seven years as a public servant, the police department announced Thursday. And, of course, a well-deserved retirement "pawty" was held.
But Apollo’s journey to the police department was a bit … ruff. He was abandoned as a puppy and sent to an animal shelter with the hope of getting adopted.
For six months, Apollo, a pit bull, was overlooked and was almost euthanized. To avoid this fate, animal shelter staff reached out to a state narcotics K9 trainer to see if Apollo and his high-energy personality would qualify for police work, KING 5 previously reported.
Several agencies passed him over for a year, until the Tukwila Police Department decided to give him a chance.
Apollo finished top of his class at narcotics school and joined the Tukwila Police Department in 2017. He is credited with helping to seize $355,000 in cash and 30 pounds of narcotics by mid-2017.
In 2023, Apollo received an award for identifying and seizing $5 million in funds and thousands of pounds of narcotics distributed through the mail over a multi-year partnership with the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), according to the police department.
Apollo underwent two surgeries for a slipped disc in his back and spent nine months recovering in late 2020, according to the Tukwila Tracker. He returned to duty in January 2021.
He spent seven years serving Tukwila through police work and spreading smiles to law enforcement and community members, according to the police department.
Retirement plans for Apollo include “sleeping in and eating endless pig ears,” the department said.