K-9 Officer ‘Cheeseburger’ Retires After Amazing 8-Year Career— ‘We’re Gonna Miss This Little Fur Missile.'

This Thursday, it was a happy occasion when Ten-year-old K-9 Officer C.B., known as 'Cheeseburger,' was honored with a full retirement ceremony in Lawrence, Kansas. It's the ending that one always hopes for when we see the bright, cheerful, tail-wagging colleagues-in-fur of our police officers -- one that comes too seldom, as many K-9 officers are felled by everything from gunfire to (disproportionately) heat exhaustion. 

A tweet from the Lawrence Police Department broke the bittersweet news, "Sad news everyone- Cheeseburger retires today. The OG LKPD K9. We're gonna miss this little fur missile."
 

Sad news everyone- Cheeseburger retires today. The OG LKPD K9. We're gonna miss this little fur missile. pic.twitter.com/zBDo78MdtW

— Lawrence Police (@LawrenceKS_PD) June 8, 2023

According to KCTV News, Cheeseburger, a shepherd from the Netherlands, served the city honorably as a patrol service dog and was called upon to de-escalate dangerous situations, officials said. He began his career in 2015, working in criminal apprehension, handler protection, and narcotics detection. In these capacities, the K-9 also assisted other departments in Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas City, Kansas, Kansas Highway Patrol, Jefferson County, Franklin County, Anderson County, and Osawatomie Police, according to the outlet. Cheeseburger loyally served the city for eight years. 

Corporal Matt Weidl, Cheeseburger's handler, announced at the ceremony that his partner would be staying within the LKPD family even in retirement. He's being adopted by Patrol Sgt. Ron Ivener, his wife, four children, and their 9-year-old dog Monty.

Tweeting images from the ceremony, the department also teased that Cpl. Weidl won't ride solo for long. The department wrote"Get ready to meet Cpl. Weidl's new partner real soon." And of course, they added in a stretch of the English language that most anyone can understand, "Hessuchagoodboi," and stating the handsome dog rightly received "All the pats."
 

We had a ceremony for Cheeseburger, and now he's off to enjoy retirement, after being passed from Cpl. Weidl to Sgt. Ivener and family. Hessuchagoodboi. All the pats for this handsome dog. Get ready to meet Cpl. Weidl's new partner real soon. pic.twitter.com/FeOTtQogcI

— Lawrence Police (@LawrenceKS_PD) June 8, 2023

The department wrote in a statement via Facebook, "Cheeseburger is certainly well positioned to get plenty of treats, toys, and restful trots in his well-earned golden years. Thank you Hy-Vee for the amazing cake; thank you to Friends of the K9 Vest, Midwest for your continued support; and a BIG THANK YOU to Cheeseburger for his dedicated 8-year service to the citizens of Lawrence."



In a subsequent post, they added,
 

"Cheeseburger is officially off-duty for good! Following his retirement today, Corporal Weidl passed Cheeseburger off to his new family, the Ivener's. The kids have promised lots of good boy snoot boops for CB as he lounges around the house for the rest of his days! Look for an announcement on Cpl. Weidl's new parter in the coming days."

The K-9 Officer's retirement seems to have been well-received by the community and social media at large, with multiple comments offering congratulations and good wishes. One commenter wrote, "Absolute legend. The goodest of good boys," another added, "Omg I hope cheeseburger has the best retirement ever with lots of treats and plenty of well earned rest!"

Though this is one of those stories that stretch editorial standards to the breaking point ( 'goodest,' 'hessuchagoodboi,' 'All the pats'), on behalf of the editors and staff of the DC Enquirer, we wish Cheeseburger a happy and long retirement for "such a good boy, the best boy," and "a splendid service dog."

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