Atascadero police dog retires

Atascadero police celebrated the retirement of police service dog Atza on Wednesday.

Atza served with the Guadalupe Police Department for several years before transferring to Atascadero. Atza and Atascadero Officer Chris Hall were partners in Guadalupe before Hall transferred to Atascadero. Shortly after, Atza transferred to again partner with Hall. Atza served the department for several years and worked one last shift Wednesday before retiring.

Police dogs typically work with the same handler throughout their service, which usually lasts about seven years. When a police dog retires, it is sold to its former partner, who cares for it for the rest of its life.

This story was originally published March 31, 2016 at 6:33 AM with the headline "Atascadero police dog retires."