Cypress Police Regretfully ‘Fire’ Canine Officer

Saying that he was “just a little soft for police work,” officials have reluctantly booted Sam the police dog from the force.

When Sam joined the Cypress Police Department three years ago, he showed great promise. He seemed like a natural, scoring well above average on his performance tests and easily making friends with fellow officers.

But it became apparent to his superiors that Sam didn’t have enough bite behind his bark. In fact, he was too friendly.

So this month, the 6-year-old Belgian Malinois was fired after less than three years on the job.

“We didn’t feel good about giving Sam up,” said Lt. Jim Weuve, coordinator of the department’s canine program. “But he did not consistently perform to the standard that we require.”

Citing the confidentiality of personnel files, police officials declined to provide details concerning Sam’s early retirement. However, a staff report to the City Council said Sam was not able to translate what he learned in canine training to street situations.

“It’s tough,” said Officer Danny Forniss, Sam’s handler and former partner. “It is hard to turn your back on someone who has been loyal.” But one thing he did do on a regular basis was win the hearts of people in the community.

“He was great when he had to go to (elementary) schools. He was definitively a people dog,” Forniss said. “Maybe just a little soft for police work.”

The City Council this week agreed to purchase another dog to replace Sam. Forniss is now training with his new partner, Brutus, who, like Sam, is a Belgian Malinois. The cost of training the dog and officer is more than $4,000. However, a trade-in allowance of $2,000 was given for Sam.

Forniss said they are going to do everything possible to make sure that the new dog is better suited for police work. The Police Department has had three dogs since starting its canine unit, and the average length of duty is five to seven years, he said.

As for Sam, he was returned to the kennel and quickly purchased by another police officer. Forniss said he would have liked to kept Sam, but was unable to because it might create competition between him and his new partner.