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‘This is a blessing’: Suburban charity helps retired police dogs get health care

Like a lot of retirees, Hogyn tries to stay active. He runs. He plays. He does his best to keep up with the younger crowd — all while battling arthritis and nagging skin irritations.

But unlike other retirees, Hogyn doesn’t have private health insurance or Medicare to pay for the care and prescriptions that help him remain spry.

  Buffalo Grove police officer Danielle Baron and partner Hogyn visit with kids back when they were on duty in 2019 at the Buffalo Grove Days festival. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com, 2019

That’s where MARK-9 comes in. The Lisle-based nonprofit — full name, Medical Assistance for Retired K-9s — has for more than a decade provided financial assistance for hundreds of retired police dogs’ medical care.

“It’s a huge help, because at this stage of their lives, they need more medical appointments than just the annual checkup, and they need more prescriptions,” said retired Buffalo Grove police officer Danielle Baron, who partnered with Hogyn for 6⅟₂ years before they retired about three months apart from one another in 2022.

“This is a blessing.”

Hogyn, now 11 years old, has continued to live with his partner in his retirement, as do most police dogs. However, his police department no longer picks up the tab on the German shepherd’s health care and other needs. That’s all on Baron.

  Retired Buffalo Grove police officer Danielle Baron strolls through TOPS Kennel in Grayslake with retired partner Hogyn, an 11-year-old German shepherd. Hogyn is spry for his age, but still battles arthritis and skin irritations. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com

And for older dogs that spent years chasing bad guys, searching rugged terrain for missing people and sniffing out drugs, explosives and other dangerous items, the aging process can be more difficult — and costly — than for the average family pet.

That’s what Dr. Alexis Newman saw when she began specializing in the treatment of working dogs, including active and retired police dogs.

Besides the usual physical issues caused by aging, retired police dogs are more susceptible to arthritis and back problems, the result of years of arduous training, jumping in and out of patrol vehicles, and eight- to 10-hour work days in demanding environments.

“I refer to them as athletes,” Newman told us this week. “And they’re typically high-drive dogs, so they’re always active.”

And many police dogs are German shepherds, a breed that experiences higher rates of cancer than most.

“They get no support from their departments,” Newman said. “(The officers) are told, ‘Here’s your dog’ and they get no medical assistance.”

Buffalo Grove police dog Hogyn poses with some of the evidence he helped seize in a 2019 drug bust. Courtesy of Buffalo Grove Police Department.

Deserved ‘thank you’

Newman, who practices at Partners and Paws Veterinary Services in Lisle, teamed with two police officers to launch MARK-9 in 2014. They started out helping just a handful of retired police dogs locally, but have grown through word-of-mouth and now assist 100 former K-9s and their partners across the country.

To qualify for help, a dog has to have served for at least five years or have been medically retired. Those accepted into the program receive up to $500 a year to help cover veterinary care and medication.

MARK-9 Treasurer Jim King joined the organization about six years ago when he brought his two dogs — family pets, not former K-9s — to Newman for veterinary care.

In his time there, he’s tracked more than 400 retired police dogs the organization has assisted.

“Like a lot of people, I never really thought about what happens to a police dog after it retires,” King said. “If more people knew, I believe there would be more supporters. The handlers and the dogs deserve this thank you for all their service to us.”

How you can help

MARK-9’s golf outing — one of its two annual fundraisers — is set for Friday, Aug. 1, at the Village Greens of Woodridge. Tickets to play golf have sold out, but “party pass” tickets that include dinner, open bar, raffles and more are still available, as are various sponsorship opportunities.

The second big event, a casino night, typically takes place the weekend before the Super Bowl in Naperville.

For details about both events, the organization and other ways you can help, visit their website, www.mark-9.org.

  Retired Buffalo Grove police officer Danielle Baron poses with Hogyn. The pair spent more than six years as partners before retiring about three months apart in 2022. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com

Just deserts

Wauconda Police Chief David Wermes treated a group of local teens to ice cream Wednesday to thank them for their help taking a gun off the village’s streets.

The teens were riding their bikes near the Route 12 underpass on Route 176 when they came across a Colt .25 automatic handgun lying on the sidewalk, officials said.

Wauconda police Chief David Wermes, center, and fellow officers took teens out for ice cream Wednesday to thank them for helping remove a gun from the village's streets. Courtesy of Wauconda Police Department

Two of the boys remained at the scene to ensure no one else stumbled upon the weapon, while the two others rode to the police station to report their discovery. Officers responded and secured the gun into evidence for further investigation.

“They turned a potentially dangerous situation into an example of community responsibility,” Wermes said.

To show his appreciation, Wermes treated the boys to Dairy Queen.

Anyone with information about the gun is asked to call Wauconda police at (847) 526-2421.

Scam surge

DuPage County authorities warned residents this week about a sharp increase in “convincing and dangerous” phone scams involving someone impersonating law enforcement.

The sheriff’s office reports receiving multiple calls daily from community members who say they were contacted by someone claiming to be a sheriff’s deputy. The caller claims there is a warrant for the individual’s arrest, typically due to missed jury duty or a court appearance, and demands thousands of dollars to “quash” it.

In many cases, the scammer leaves a callback number. When dialed, a recorded message claims the caller has reached the sheriff’s office, complete with menu prompts to speak with a deputy.

The sheriff’s office says it does not call people to say they have a warrant, demand payment to avoid arrest or accept payments over the phone.

Anyone who receives such a call should hang up immediately and report it to their local police department, officials said.

• Do you have a tip or a comment? Email us at copsandcrime@dailyherald.com.

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