Outrage as North Carolina police department puts ailing K-9 named Pac-Man in SHELTER instead of letting him retire with his handler, even after he offered to buy him

Outrage engulfed a local police department in North Carolina after police placed a sick K-9 German Shepherd named Pac-Man in a shelter instead of allowing him to retire with his former owner.

Police K-9 Pac-Man, 7, has been sleeping in a shelter kennel since November last year, despite his former handler Nathan Ingram offering to buy him.

Ingram worked with Pac-Man for the past three years at the Dunn Police Department in North Carolina, but he was on light duty and recovering from an injury last October.

But during an unexpected phone call, Dunn Police Chief Cary Jackson told Ingram she was taking his faithful companion to the Dunn Animal Shelter.

Ingram offered to cover the costs for Pac-Man, who had joint pain and anxiety, if he could retire and live with him, but the chef refused.

“He came with me to work every day, he came home with me and stayed at my house every night for three years. And then suddenly he was taken,” Ingram said CBS.

‘He clearly has no voice for himself. I imagine I just don’t know what’s going on, like, why have I been here so long?’ Ingram added.

Ingram, who has since left the department for a new job, claimed that removing Pac-Man from his car was retaliation for his absence during a department photo shoot with the dog.

But Jackson disputed this, saying Pac-Man was sent to the shelter because Ingram’s injury left him unable to care for the dog.

Jackson said, “That’s just not true. We don’t get into that back and forth thing.’

“Based on the restrictions placed on him by his doctor, we decided to remove the handler from him so he could ensure he was receiving proper care.”

Ingram dismissed the claim, saying, “I was able to completely care for Pac-Man during this time. It was not removed from my home for the reasons shown to the public.”

The heartbroken former officer said his companion is known to have leg problems, suffers from anxiety and is in poor medical condition.

But the department has refused to retire Pac-Man, Ingram said, emphasizing that this is not the first time such an incident has occurred within the same police department.

“I just want Pac-Man to come home and I would be forever grateful if he could retire and enjoy whatever last years he may have,” Ingram said. local news channel WRAL.

The chef emphasized that the dog can work and described Pac-Man as “a healthy, well-liked and respected member” of the organization.

“We feel he is fully capable, based on our consultation with our vet and police trainers, dog trainers,” Jackson said.

“It would be an injustice to K-9 Apacs to retire and not be able to do what he lives for, which is to work and provide services to the city of Dunn,” she said.

In a lengthy statement released by police last week, Jackson said Pac-Man has been medically cleared and would begin his training soon.

“Appropriate training for this K-9 officer/handler and Apacs has been arranged and will begin next week at no additional cost to Dunn taxpayers,” she said.

“All of the aforementioned care for Dunn PD’s K-9 Apacs has become necessary as a result of the former K-9 officer’s voluntary separation from the Dunn PD,” Jackson wrote.

“At no time were K-9 Apacs ‘abandoned’ at the Dunn Animal Shelter. He has been personally cared for and medically cleared to continue his service as a working police dog.”

The agency has not specified who the next handler for Pac-Man will be, leading to conflicting information in local reports.

The police dog was reportedly transferred to the custody and care of Dunn’s Animal Control Director Courtney Hayter when Ingram was placed on medical leave last year.

He was then moved to a climate-controlled kennel at the shelter when Hayter began basic law enforcement training in January.

Officer NA Blanchard is reportedly his new handler, as reported by the Daily Recordbut he is still waiting for a kennel to be built at his home.

However, other local media outlets claim that Sgt. Adam Sikorski will be the new handler as he said it is time to move on.

Sikorski told WARL, “This is what he lives for: work, find drugs, find bad guys. We start training on Monday, which we are really looking forward to.’

According to a post shared by an account called “Pac-Man Retire K-9 Officer APAC,” the police dog was assigned to its third handler for training last week.

The petition to allow Pac-Man has since provoked an overwhelming response from social media users, including some local residents who even attended the city’s council meeting last week to voice their concerns.

Johnnie Jackson, who worked with dogs in law enforcement, including at the Dunn Police Department, is among those calling for Pac-Man’s retirement.

“The way K-9 Pacman has been treated by Chief Cary Jackson infuriates me. I have lost all respect for the leadership of the Dunn Police Department and its council.

“The movements allowed by this 7-year-old dog lack any common sense or heart,” he added.

“Because this dog has been in a shelter for two months and now suddenly within a week he is thrown out with a handler, and another week later he is in a school, in my opinion it is too much for an old dog,” said he during the city’s council meeting.

“It’s like if I stayed in the same profession for 49 years, or you too, and then all of a sudden I’m thrown out where I have to run like I used to, and jump like I used to, because when they go to school, it’s not an easy school. ‘

DailyMail.com has contacted Dunn police for comment and further information.