The University of Alabama Police Department retired Boomer, an explosives detection K-9, on Tuesday after nearly a decade of service. Boomer completed over 30,000 operational hours, including major campus events and three visits by a United States president.
Boomer, a yellow labrador retriever handled by field training officer Patrick Hinkle, entered service Aug. 1, 2016 as an explosive detection canine trained through Alabama Canine, a police dog training service. He is annually recertified in explosive detection.
The retirement carried emotional weight for Hinkle, who has worked with Boomer for 12 to 18 hours a day for years.
“I end up seeing him more than I see my family on a lot of occasions,” Hinkle said.
Boomer had cancer several years ago and returned shortly before Christmas break. He underwent surgery and had one of his toes amputated.
Despite his cancer related complications, Boomer completed both Level 1 and Level 2 of the Regional Explosive Detection Dog Initiative and continued serving.
Hinkle said departments try to pair dogs with handlers who fit them personality-wise. He said that came easy with Boomer, because the two liked working the same way and moved at the same pace. Retirement will not split them up, however, as Boomer will stay with Hinkle and his family, and has already picked out his place at home.
“He has declared his spot on the couch,” he said. “That’s his, and nobody else can sit there.”
Kennedy Townsel, a freshman majoring in sport management, helped make Boomer a cake for his retirement.
She said she stepped in after hearing officers were planning a party and still needed a cake.
Kennedy said she carried a 40-pound bag of kibble from her sorority house to her dorm, mixing it with peanut butter and shaping the “cake” by hand with friends.
“He’d been here to not only help and protect everyone, but also to be a comfort for everyone as well,” she said. “I had to do something for him to send him off.”
Townsel said UAPD’s dogs show up at campus events and in residence halls, where students can stop by, pet them and take a break from the day.
“These dogs do a lot for everyone here,” she said. “For them to be able to have a party like this, I think it’s really incredible.”
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