A Windsor Police K-9 officer who's been in service for eight years is heading to retirement.
Kato's handler and trainer, Constable Lance Montigny, says that's the equivalent of 50 years service for a human.
Two new German Shepherds Nik and Coal, have been brought in from Europe and are now trained to go into service.
Constable Montigny is the K-9 unit trainer and he has Nik and Constable Eric Willson will be the handler for Coal.
Constable Montigny says there will be a long road of constant training for the new dogs.
"It will take an additional three years of every day, Officer Willson and I will work our dogs. every single day, there won't be a day that goes past without those dogs running a practice track, practice search, searching every single day. One you have three or four days put in with them it's not as rigorous"
He says Kato had a distinguished career but one incident stands out.
"Probably the most dangerous one was where we tracked down an armed suspect last year who had a loaded shotgun at the Titan Tool, that was probably the most dangerous where there were several people's lives in danger and if it wasn't for that animal things probably would have turned out worse"
Constable Montigny says Kato had a unique talent that will long be remembered.
Windsor Police Service K9 Trainer Constable Lance Montigny with Kato, Tilston Armoury, December 17, 2018 (by AM800's Peter Langille)
"To train others with their police dogs, that dog was just an amazingly stable animal that I was able to show other people throughout the province, we run seminars here for other people throughout the province and to be able to show people with that animal what could be accomplished is truly what that dog will be remembered for"
In his eight years, Kato was involved in about 100 arrests and won multiple obedience and training awards.
Constable Montigny says Kato will remain with him and while he won't be a service dog, he'll continue to work with him on a regular basis.