Prescott Valley Police Officer Dave McNally gets a little emotional when he talks about Ike, his K-9 partner for the past six years. That’s why it might be a good idea to bring a tissue or two to Thursday night’s town council meeting, where Ike will officially retire from officer to designated couch potato in the McNally home.
Ike, a Belgian Malinois, came to Prescott Valley from Waddell Kennels in Waddell, Ariz., the day after Thanksgiving in 2007. Now, at a little over 9 years old, he’s slowing down a bit and ready to be a family pet.
McNally said Ike’s certification is good through January, and he probably could serve another year, but police work is physically tough, and the longer the animal’s service, the more their quality of life after retirement is diminished.
During his career with McNally, Ike has been responsible for the seizure of $1.7 million in illegal drugs – including marijuana, methamphetamines, heroin, and cocaine – and 12 vehicles used in criminal activity. He helped apprehend 27 suspects involved in burglary and other crimes.
McNally particularly remembers his first drug bust with Ike, in which the dog sniffed out two lbs. of marijuana in a car on Navajo Drive during a traffic stop. In another incident, Ike alerted to drugs in a car during a stop on Glassford Hill Road. Officers couldn’t find the hiding place, until they put Ike inside the vehicle and sniffed out about a half pound each of cocaine and meth in a cleverly concealed compartment behind the dash.
“If Ike hadn’t pinpointed the location, we’d have never found it by ourselves,” McNally said. “It was a good job on his part, and his first bust of the harder drugs.”
During his career, Ike also stopped burglars in two notable incidents. In one, suspects had broken into and vandalized a local church and were still inside. When McNally announced that he was sending Ike in, the burglars quickly came out of hiding and surrendered.
During another event in Jerome, officers and volunteers had set a perimeter around some suspects that had burglarized a local jewelry store and also were wanted for carjackings in Nevada. Jerome Police called McNally and PVPD Officer Paul Hines with their dogs to help locate the burglars. Ike tracked the men, who surrendered, and Hines’s dog located their vehicles and stolen property.
After about 5,000 hours on patrol, and another 2,812 hours in training, McNally has forged a special relationship with Ike.
“He turned out to be such a great dog, one of the best we’ve ever seen. I love that dog,” he said. He’s now transitioning Ike into his new life as a house dog.
Residents who would like to come and share retirement wishes with Ike may do so during a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Thursday night during the regular town council meeting at the Library Auditorium, 7401 E. Civic Circle.
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