As a puppy, there were high hopes for Ayke to help revive the Santa Fe Police Department’s K-9 program. Now, four years later, the German shepherd is in the doghouse.
He has bitten more people than any other dog in the department’s K-9 unit and is the subject of an internal affairs investigation into an attack in March on one of the department’s own officers. The city also is defending against a lawsuit filed by an officer who underwent plastic surgery after being attacked during a 2022 training exercise, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
Police Chief Paul Joye declined a request by the newspaper for an interview, and the investigation is ongoing into the latest incident involving Ayke, who is one of four dogs used by the department.
Like other law enforcement agencies across the nation, the Santa Fe police force contends that K-9 units can be helpful when trying to detect illicit drugs or explosive materials or apprehend suspects.
Several states earlier this year were considering legislative proposals that would impose tougher penalties for harming or killing police dogs, with supporters noting that thousands of dollars are spent on training and that in many cases the animals are like family to their handlers.
