Essex County OPP canine Maximus is retiring after an Ontario Provincial Police record 204 "catches" during his time in service.
Since joining the OPP in 2016, Maximus and his handler, Sgt. Milan Matovski, have been involved in everything from detecting drugs, tracking missing or lost people, and searching for wanted suspects.
Sgt. Matovski says the most rewarding tracks during his time with Maximus was finding missing people.
"We located a two-year-old and then someone who was almost 90-years-old. Had we not located them, they would have died," he says. "Those are very rewarding and those types of calls are why we put so much training and money into these types of dogs."
Matovski says they had a close call with Maximus in 2020 when they were executing a drug warrant in Leamington and he overdosed after being exposed to fentanyl.
"It was a near-death experience for him. I had to administer Naxolone a couple of times and that reversed the effects. He didn't spend anytime in the hospital, we were able to wash off anything that was on his fur. He made a full recovery," he says.
As part of a retirement ceremony Tuesday, Maximus was given a special retirement cake and a variety of dog toys from PetValu.
Maximus, a Belgian malinois-German shepherd mix, will now be adopted and live his retirement years with Matovski family.
Matovski says Maximus has been with him 24/7 and he's spent more time with him than his own family.
"It's definitely a different type of bond. I've had a pet dog before but the bond I have with Maximus, it almost compares to like your own child," he says.
While Maximus may be retiring, Sgt. Matovski will continue his police career in Essex and Harrow as he moves to general patrol.
Matovski says he can't treat a human partner at the OPP like his K9 partner.
"You can't give him treats, tell him 'good boy' or give him a scratch on the back. I'll have to figure out how to deal with humans I guess, I've been dealing with dogs for a very long time," he added with a laugh.