Arlington Heights police dog retires

Arlington Heights' first police dog in years is retiring after almost a decade on the force, though her retirement is bittersweet.

Layka, a 13-year-old Belgian Malinois, has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, though her handler, officer Kevin Sullivan, assured the audience at a village board meeting this week that Layka will have a happy and well-lived retirement with him and his family.

Police dogs and their handlers from neighboring departments came to honor Layka, who clutched a tennis ball in her mouth as Mayor Tom Hayes read a proclamation recognizing her distinguished career. She helped to recover more than $1 million in controlled substances and more than $1 million in criminal assets, and in 2015 she tracked down an offender wanted on several felony warrants.

Arlington Heights had a police dog in the 1980s, but Layka was the first dog to join the force after Police Chief Gerald Mourning reinstated the canine program in 2007.

Deputy Chief Andy Whowell said there's now two dogs remaining, with plans to get a replacement for Layka this year.