K-9 Lucia Retires from North Augusta Police After 10 Years

The North Augusta Department of Public Safety threw a retirement party for K-9 officer Lucia. She served for 10 years. Monday marked her final day.

Lucia partnered with Sergeant Justin Aubuchon since 2016. Health problems forced her to step down, per WRDW.

"Oh, this is by far my best friend. She knows everything about me. We're together 24 hours a day," Aubuchon said. "My wife even calls her my other wife, my number one wife. I spend more time with her than I do anybody else."

His first patrol without Lucia hit hard. The car felt "eerily quiet," he said. Nothing seemed right that whole shift.

Lucia will live at the Aubuchon house now with two other dogs. She'll spend her golden years where she's belonged since day one, with the family who took her in when she joined the force.

Police dogs work as partners for officers throughout America, helping with drug detection and catching suspects. These K-9 units stick with their handlers around the clock, building connections that stretch across years and become something deeper than most work partnerships ever reach.

Ten years. That's how long this team worked together. Officers paired with K-9 units say the bond differs from anything else in law enforcement. The animals sleep under the same roof as their handlers, eat at the same house, and play with the handler's kids. They aren't just work partners. They're family.

The department held the ceremony to honor what Lucia gave. Those years of sniffing out danger, chasing down criminals, and protecting the town deserved recognition.