LA PORTE COUNTY, Indiana — After eight years of police service, K-9 Bosco is retiring from the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office and returning to the home of his wounded handler, Deputy Jon Samuelson, for a new assignment beside him during recovery.
The sheriff’s office announced that Bosco’s retirement took effect July 28. WKVI published the agency’s Aug. 4 release, which says administrators and Samuelson made the decision after the deputy was critically injured in a May 22 act of violence.
A planned transition changed after Samuelson was wounded
The agency had begun discussing Bosco’s future early this year. Although he continued performing at a high level, the ten-year-old Belgian Malinois had moved to single-purpose narcotics detection and was showing subtle signs of age, according to the release and Hometown News Now’s local report.
Samuelson intended to continue as a K-9 handler. He was scheduled to select a new partner June 26 and attend narcotics-detection training in July, while Bosco was expected to retire around July 1.
Those plans changed after Samuelson was shot and critically injured May 22. The sheriff’s office said other agency K-9 handlers and deputies familiar with Bosco cared for the dog while Samuelson received treatment.
Bosco was also able to visit his handler in intensive care, Hometown News Now reported. The newly retired K-9 will now live with the Samuelson family as the deputy continues what the local outlet described as a long recovery.
Eight years of highway-interdiction work
Bosco joined the sheriff’s office in 2018 and became known within the agency as the “Million-Dollar Dog.” The sheriff’s release says Bosco and Samuelson developed into one of the region’s most successful highway-interdiction K-9 teams.
Administrative Captain Derek J. Allen called the team’s accomplishments “absolutely incredible” and said Bosco could be remembered as arguably the most successful K-9 in department history.
The retirement record published by Hometown News Now credits Bosco’s alerts and the team’s work with seizures that included more than $3.37 million in drug-associated currency, approximately 173.73 kilograms of methamphetamine, 55.66 kilograms of cocaine or crack cocaine, 12.59 kilograms of fentanyl, and more than 2,093 pounds of marijuana.
The same record lists 5,113 THC cartridges, 13 one-ounce gold bars and two vehicles among the property seized during Bosco’s career. Those figures are the agency statistics relayed by the local outlet; ThinBlueNews has not independently audited individual cases behind the totals.
Retirement becomes a family assignment
Police K-9 retirement often marks the end of patrol, detection or apprehension work. Bosco’s transition carries an additional meaning because his working partner is still recovering from serious injuries.
The official announcement does not provide a new medical prognosis for Samuelson. ThinBlueNews is therefore not speculating about his condition or timetable. The confirmed update is narrower: Bosco’s law-enforcement duties have ended, and he is going home to his handler and family.
ThinBlueNews previously reported the May attack in coverage of Deputy Samuelson’s critical injuries. This retirement story focuses on Bosco’s documented service record and the sheriff’s office’s current decision, not unresolved criminal allegations.
Readers can find more verified working-dog coverage in ThinBlueNews’ police K-9 news, officer recognition and positive police news sections.
Sources and image attribution
- WKVI Information Center: “La Porte County Sheriff’s Office announces retirement of K9 Bosco,” published Aug. 4, 2026. Publishes the sheriff’s office release, retirement timeline, service context, Captain Allen’s statement and an official agency-provided portrait.
- Hometown News Now: “Bosco Retiring, But More Important Job Ahead,” published Aug. 3, 2026. Local report for Bosco’s age, service statistics, ICU visit and transition to the Samuelson home.
- ThinBlueNews: prior reporting on Deputy Jon Samuelson’s May 22 critical injuries. Background only; this article does not add claims about the pending criminal case.
- La Porte County Sheriff’s Office-provided portrait of K-9 Bosco, published by WKVI with explicit agency photo credit.
Featured-image note: The card uses the real La Porte County Sheriff’s Office-provided portrait of Bosco. ThinBlueNews added only editorial typography and attribution. The image does not depict Samuelson’s injury, a narcotics seizure or any particular enforcement incident.
Video status: This is a release-and-portrait-led retirement story. No body-camera, dash-camera, rescue or other central footage was identified or required for an accurate report.
If an agency representative, responder or reader sees anything that should be corrected or updated, please contact ThinBlueNews through our corrections and editorial standards page.