Town of Groton Police K-9 Saber’s last day of duty was Feb. 28. (Photo Courtesy Town of Groton Police Department)
GROTON — The Town of Groton Police Department announces the retirement of K-9 Saber, a 9-year-old Belgian Malinois who has served the community alongside his handler, Officer Ryan Brouwer. K-9 Saber’s last day of duty was Saturday, Feb. 28.
K-9 Saber joined the department in March 2018 after completing patrol and narcotics detection training. He was initially assigned to Officer Eric D. Korteweg, who was later promoted to sergeant, leading to K-9 Saber being reassigned to Officer Brouwer.
Over the course of his time paired with Officer Brouwer, Saber was deployed 248 times, including 82 narcotics-related searches, 23 building searches, 44 tracking operations and 19 evidence searches. K-9 Saber helped locate missing persons, apprehend fleeing suspects and recover drugs and discarded evidence.
Saber and Officer Brouwer were awarded a K-9 Commendation Medal following their actions during a high-risk mutual aid response in December 2021. Using a shoe as a scent item, the team successfully tracked a violent domestic violence suspect, who was also wanted on multiple felony warrants and believed to be armed, through a densely populated housing complex into a wooded area with no prior information on a direction of travel.
Saber located the suspect attempting to hide beneath leaves along a wooded embankment, allowing officers to take the individual into custody without incident.
Officer Brouwer and K-9 Saber were also recognized in 2024 when Brouwer was named Officer of the Year by the Groton Lodge of Elks #2163. Supervisors cited his positive attitude, work ethic, and leadership, along with the team’s response to critical incidents, arrests of wanted individuals, and multiple narcotics seizures.
The Town of Groton Police Department currently maintains three K-9 teams. Each dog and handler is selected following an extensive process. They then partake in specialized training and ongoing certification to maintain readiness for patrol operations, narcotics detection, tracking and search missions.
Following his retirement, Saber will remain with Officer Brouwer and his family, where he will transition from working K-9 to full-time companion.
“The K-9 program requires an exceptional level of commitment from both the dog and the handler,” said Chief L.J. Fusaro Jr. “Saber has been a loyal partner and an important resource for our officers and the residents we serve. We are grateful for his years of dedicated work and wish him a long, healthy retirement.”
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