PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is wishing a happy retirement to two of its members Friday: K9 Hela and her partner, Cpl. Rux.
The sheriff’s office said Cpl. Rux enjoyed a long career with PSO as a member of the K9 unit.
The corporal started in patrol in 1996 and became a K9 handler in 1998. Rux went on to work with four K9 partners during his career: K9 Emir (patrol work), K9 Sam (patrol work and narcotics detection), K9 Thor (patrol work and narcotics detection), and his current partner, K9 Hela.
During his time with the sheriff’s office, Rux and his partners located over 800 missing people or suspects.
Cpl. Rux became PSO’s K9 trainer in 2004 and has since trained 118 K9 teams in patrol and narcotics detection for 11 different agencies.
Rux’s current partner, K9 Hela, will go down in history as the first Golden Retriever to be employed at PSO. She has served the Pasco community since April 2018.
The 6-year-old works as a narcotics detection K9. Sher sheriff’s office says Hela’s name comes from Norse mythology, in which Hela was the sister of Thor and is a nod to Cpl. Rux’s previous K9 partner.
“PSO thanks Cpl. Rux and K9 Hela for their many years of dedicated service to Pasco County and beyond, and wishes them well in their retirement adventures!” the sheriff’s office added.
