Full Notification

The Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department announces the retirement of K-9 Reagan, a 9 year-old German Shepard, who spent her eight-year career with Police Officer Vanja Mikelic. Officer Mikelic and K-9 Reagan completed Basic Patrol School in November of 2007 and Narcotics Detection in March of 2008.

In both 2009 and 2010, the team earned certification from the North American Police Work Dog Association and the National Narcotics Detector Dog Association in both patrol and narcotics detection. In 2011, they earned certification from the Eastern Police Canine Association (EPCA) in Patrol and Street Ready Patrol Dog and Patrol Narcotics Dog Level 1. K-9 Reagan was also one of five dogs, over a 22 year period and over 200 teams competing, that earned the EPCA Tracking Title. This title is considered one of the most difficult tracking tests given anywhere in the world by any K-9 organization.
In 2012, Officer Mikelic and K-9 Reagan earned the advanced titles of Certified Police Dog Level 1 and Patrol Narcotics Dog Level 2. Most recently in 2013, K-9 Reagan earned the most advanced patrol dog title in the country, EPCA’s certified Police Dog Level 2. Twenty-six K-9 teams in the Northeast vied for this level of certification and they were one of two teams that received the high standard for certification.

During K-9 Reagan’s career with Officer Mikelic, she recovered over 20 pounds of illegal narcotics, 99 pieces of evidence which included four guns, and tracked and located 32 criminal suspects. Town of Poughkeepsie Supervisor, Todd Tancredi, stated “Police Officer Mikelic and K-9 Reagan have been a great team and provided the Town with an invaluable resource in fighting crime. On behalf of all Town residents, we wish Reagan well in her retirement and thank Officer Mikelic for his professionalism and dedication to the Town of Poughkeepsie.”

With the retirement of K-9 Reagan, Officer Mikelic recently graduated Basic Patrol School with his new partner, K-9 Kyle, a Belgian Malinois.