Hamilton Police officers are saying goodbye to Maverick, a police dog who died Friday, four shifts away from his retirement.

"It's hitting the hearts of many of the members," said police spokesperson Const. Steve Welton. "This was his last week in policing before retiring."

Maverick, an eight-year-old purebred German shepherd, was born in the Netherlands on Jan. 19, 2008. Described as a "loyal partner and friend," he worked with handler Const. Johnny Sabatini, who joined the canine unit in 2009.

Welton said "a sudden medical issue came up" and Maverick "unexpectedly" died.

Sabatini, who was described by Welton as wearing his heart on his sleeve is feeling the loss of his best friend and appreciates everyone's support and condolences.

"Wherever Johnny was, Maverick was there too," Welton said. "Many people in the police service are reaching out to him (Sabatini) to give him support … It's like losing one of your family."

It's no wonder given the amount of time an officer spends with his canine partner. They work together — 12 hour shifts — they go home together and they play together. Welton said the relationship can become instinctual. A service dog has the ability to recognize signals from its handler when it's time to go to work.

"You put on your uniform and the dog's tail goes. He knows it's time to go to work," he said. "The bond is strong between handler and service dog."

Known for his "keen senses for sniffing out crime," Maverick was trained to detect human scent, narcotics, firearms and currency. He also played a key role in many police operations and was a "familiar furry friend" to police officers and people in the community who met him.

Welton joked saying "Everyone would agree Maverick made all the arrests. He always got his bad guy."

He added, Sabatini, a "passionate and committed police officer" particularly in the canine unit is looked upon by his peers as an expert in his field. He and Maverick were known to visit McMaster Children's Hospital to teach children about police dogs, the role they play and what to do if they come face-to-face with a service dog in public.

"He (Sabatini) cared a lot about Maverick and his job," said Welton. "People knew Johnny and Maverick because they'd always go to schools, different events and he was the first person to volunteer and want to bring the canine unit."

Hamilton Police Service created a formal canine unit in 1960, the first in the province. The unit is comprised of four officers and their designated service dog — Scout, Jake, Armour and Maverick. Teams are called to robberies, weapons and drug calls and ground searches.

Welton said the career of a service dog is typically between five to seven years at which point they retire and often live to be about 12 year old.

"Their lifespan is a bit shorter because of the environment they work in and the type of work they do," Welton said. "A handler has the option to keep them as a pet at home once they retire."

There has been an outpouring of support through social media too. A tweet by Hamilton Police K-9 Unit read: "Many expressions of condolences coming in. Thank you. Our dogs live with our handlers so there becomes a deep bond."

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Maverick only had four shifts to go before he retired.