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Furry Springfield Officer Retires from Service

Springfield Police Department

Springfield has lost another police dog to retirement.  Service dog, Terra, officially retired from her duties with the Springfield Police Department in November.  The eight-year-old Belgian Malinois retired along with her handler, Officer Jeff Ferneau. 

Terra was born in Holland in 2008 and served the SPD as K9 partner to two officers since 2012.  She was deployed 563 times and was responsible for locating 29 people, making 82 narcotics finds and assisting with 77 arrests.  She’ll spend retirement with Officer Ferneau at his home.

Meanwhile, City Council recently approved a $16,000 donation from the Springfield Police Foundation to fund the purchase of two new police service dogs to replace Terra as well as Aries, a police dog that retired in September.

Michele Skalicky has worked at KSMU since the station occupied the old white house at National and Grand. She enjoys working on both the announcing side and in news and has been the recipient of statewide and national awards for news reporting. She likes to tell stories that make a difference. Michele enjoys outdoor activities, including hiking, camping and leisurely kayaking.