If you are online as much as we are here at Twitchy, you might have heard a story this week about Igor the K-9. Igor is an Ohio police dog who has been partnered with his human officer, Chad Hagen, for more than 5 years in the Shaker Heights Police Department.
Hagen announced he was resigning from the department around Thanksgiving to take a job closer to his home, and he wanted to take Igor with him since they had been partners for such a long time. Now, understandably, police departments invest a lot of money in K-9 officers, and the Shaker Heights Police Department wanted to keep Igor and train him with a new partner.
But the story gained huge attention when it was disclosed that Hagen had offered the department $10,000 of his own money to release Igor so Hagen and his family could keep him. Prominent animal activist @leslibless (Proud Army Brat) helped bring the story to everyone's attention.
This story has received international attention, and petitions are out, but still no results! Please pass this around!
— 🇺🇸ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) December 10, 2023
A Shaker Heights, Ohio Police Officer, Chad Hagen, is moving his family to another city, and gave Police Chief Wayne Hudson his 2-week notice on Thanksgiving.… pic.twitter.com/ys5PSlfkAH
Many people were outraged by the police chief's refusal to release Igor for any amount of money, and that Igor was placed in a kennel where he wasn't even called by the same name he had since he was a puppy.
He’s in a small, cold cage on a concrete floor at Beacon Hill Kennel in Parma, Ohio. He should be home in his warm bed. Thinking about him being abandoned, waiting for his family to come get him, is ripping my heart out! pic.twitter.com/pHKY8SHtzq
— 🇺🇸ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) December 10, 2023
The Chief said Igor is a “tool” and “no amount of money will be considered.”
— 🇺🇸ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) December 11, 2023
It’s so wrong! Officer Hagen offered $10K and that’s over what it’d cost to train another K9.
Actor and Twitchy favorite James Woods then also got involved, along with prominent Twitter account and dog lover, Catturd.
What followed over the ensuing week was a massive campaign to let Igor stay with Hagen, including letters written to the police department, a Change.org petition with over 37,000 signatures, and a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $17,000.
Then, yesterday, the great news broke:
Ohio K-9 Igor WILL be allowed to retire and live with his cop handler
— #Nats Fan Carla (@LibertyBelleCJL) December 16, 2023
https://t.co/GM8a2Qguok
From The Daily Mail:
'The City of Shaker Heights has reached agreement with a former Shaker Heights Police Department (SHPD) officer made possible by a change in City law enacted in which the City agreed to transfer ownership of the SHPD police dog to the officer who was his handler, and the City will be compensated by the funding of a replacement police dog, and training for the dog and another officer, through a police dog kennel,' the police department explained in a statement on Friday.
Hagen's wife announced the news in an ecstatic and appreciative Facebook post:
❤️❤️ Message from Danielle, Officer Hagans wife: pic.twitter.com/NzmBeJ3kTK
— 🇺🇸ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) December 15, 2023
We're not crying, YOUR'E CRYING.
Some more pictures were shared by Proud Army Brat of the happy dog (who also happens to be quite the singer) on his way home to his now-forever family.
Happy Igor just left the kennel, with a ball in his mouth! All is well… ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zWqFmnIZVR
— 🇺🇸ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) December 15, 2023
As we wrap up the emotional, yet now happy story of Igor, I thought I’d leave you with these. Smile!
— 🇺🇸ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) December 16, 2023
The video on the left was from 2021.
Video on the right was today, on his way home.
He likes to sing! 🎶❤️ pic.twitter.com/6YsLaOlp7X
OK, dammit. Now we're crying.
More pictures of Igor and his family are available in The Daily Mail article.
#savek9igor.
— Fed Up Yet? (@citrusnewsMO) December 15, 2023
IGOR WON
he's going home today!
Please thank @leslibless and @RealJamesWoods for spreading the story with us. Two very special animal loving people. Bless you all. pic.twitter.com/1gQwfeHx5A
Igor did win. And his family won. And we all won.
There is a popular saying, mainly because of their loyalty and unconditional love, that we don't deserve dogs. But we are grateful for them.
And today, we get to be grateful for everyone on social media who helped Igor stay with his family, as he should.
We could use more of these types of stories with happy endings on Twitter.
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