ASU K-9 Disney retires after 8 years of licking crime
Disney gives her handler, Officer Parker Dunwoody, a kiss at her retirement ceremony in the ASU Police Department Building. Photo by Anya Magnuson/ASU Now
K-9 officer Disney has helped Arizona State University's Police Department take a bite out of crime for the past eight years, and now it's time for her to hang up her collar. In an event fit for a dog, Disney was honored for her service as an explosives-detection canine at an official retirement ceremony Aug. 23.
Members of the ASU and local community — many whose Disney's service has touched personally — came out to say farewell and thank the beloved dog who, as ASU Police Chief Michael Thompson said, was "an ambassador for police to the citzens that we serve."
Disney helped pave the way for the ASU Police Department's current K-9 program, and throughout her career she was deployed more than 300 times for special events, public demonstrations and crime scenes. She will retire with her human partner, Officer Parker Dunwoody, and his family.
"She's taken me on some good adventures," Dunwoody said during the ceremony. "She's the star; I just held the leash."
-
Officer William Orr (left) and Officer Chris Speranza play with Disney before her retirement ceremony in the ASU Police Department Building on Aug. 23. The ceremony was attended by ASU police officers, family, friends and four other trained K-9s.
Photo by Anya Magnuson/ASU Now
-
Officers Curtis Jones and Cory Zimmerman are sworn in at the beginning of Disney's retirement ceremony.
Photo by Anya Magnuson/ASU Now
-
ASU Police Chief Michael Thompson (left) presents Disney with a plaque to honor her eight years of service as an explosives-detection K-9 for the Arizona State University Police Department. Disney began her career in the Puppies Behind Bars program and graduated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Canine Training Center on July 24, 2009.
Photo by Anya Magnuson/ASU Now
-
Officer Parker Dunwoody offers his son, Milo, the chance to feed Disney a treat. Because Disney was trained as a food-reward dog, the only person who was allowed to feed her during her eight years of service as a explosives-detection canine was her handler, Dunwoody.
Photo by Anya Magnuson/ASU Now
-
Disney's retirement ceremony is attended by four other trained K-9s: Joy, Aggie, Spring and Striker. All the dogs posed for a group photo at the end of the ceremony, with Disney on the far left.
Photo by Anya Magnuson/ASU Now
-
Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent Terry Besta instructs his explosives-detection K-9, Aggie, to jump up to the podium for a treat. Aggie began her career in the Guiding Eyes for the Blind Program and began training for her role as an ATF explosives-detection K-9 on Dec. 10, 2012. She currently works with the ATF in Arizona and New Mexico.
Photo by Anya Magnuson/ASU Now
More University news
ASU All Access: An inside look at ASU London
In this episode, Matt Lopez, Arizona State University vice president of Academic Enterprise Enrollment, provided a behind-the-scenes tour of ASU London, which offers six degrees, five in…
ASU Professor Emeritus Malcolm L. Comeaux remembered
Malcolm L. Comeaux, professor emeritus of geography in Arizona State University’s School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, died on Sept. 9, leaving a legacy shaped by more than three…
Record year for ASU faculty Fulbrights
Arizona State University has had a record year for faculty Fulbright awards, with 15 receiving awards for 2026–27 from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board — the…