Police K-9 Chase Retires After Nine Years of Narcotics Detection Service

After helping seize millions of dollars in cash, hundreds of firearms and large quantities of illegal narcotics during nearly a decade of service, Pasadena Police Department K-9 Chase has retired.

Police Chief Eugene Harris announced that Chase, a 10-year-old Springer Spaniel, officially began retirement Monday, June 30, following nine years with the department.

“Working alongside his handler, a Pasadena Police narcotics detective, Chase conducted covert searches of homes, vehicles, and other locations, helping investigators locate illegal narcotics and criminals hidden from plain sight,” Harris said in a statement. “His remarkable nose and unwavering drive made him an essential partner in countless investigations throughout his career.”

Chase joined the Pasadena Police Department in May 2017 after arriving from the United Kingdom. Assigned to the department’s Special Investigations Section, he served as a single-purpose narcotics detection canine alongside a Pasadena police narcotics detective.

Since his first deployment June 29, 2017, Chase assisted investigators by conducting covert searches of homes, vehicles and other locations, using his scent-detection abilities to locate illegal narcotics and evidence hidden from plain sight.

According to the department, Chase helped seize approximately 1,164.5 kilograms of cocaine, 1,694.7 pounds of methamphetamine, 140.7 pounds of heroin, 422,500 fentanyl pills and 18 pounds of fentanyl powder during his career. His work also contributed to the recovery of 100 firearms and more than $24.3 million in U.S. currency.

Police officials said those seizures removed dangerous drugs and illegal weapons from the community while disrupting criminal organizations operating in the region.

When not on duty, Chase lived with his handler and the handler’s family.

In announcing the retirement, Harris thanked Chase for his years of service and praised the dog’s contributions to the department and the Pasadena community.

Chase’s retirement concludes a career that spanned nearly nine years of narcotics enforcement and investigative support.