Retirement for Officer Riggs
Gifts of chew toys and dog biscuits and wet farewell kisses marked K-9 Officer Riggs’ last day with the Pitt Police.
In addition to the well wishes from his police department friends, Riggs received a certificate of appreciation from the Office of Community and Governmental Relations for his role as co-chair of the annual Pitt’s People for Pets campaign, which collects donations of pet food for local food pantries.
Riggs joined the force in December 2006 as the University’s first K-9 officer. Now 10, he retired Jan. 22. He will reside with his handler Sgt. David Nanz, who is training with Riggs’ successor.
Like Riggs, K-9 Officer Sam will work in explosives detection. The German shorthaired pointer is expected to join the Pitt police next week.
Riggs provided security sweeps prior to sporting events and VIP visits on and off-campus. The black Labrador retriever earned special admiration from students for his response to dozens of hoax bomb threats that disrupted the Pittsburgh campus during the 2012 spring term.
Shown here with Nanz in this 2012 University Times file photo, Riggs was showered with extra affection at the Resident Student Association’s annual spring carnival, where students collected donations for police dogs and signed thank-you cards for police responders.
—Kimberly K. Barlow
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