NATCHEZ — Soon, the Natchez Police Department will be without a strong force in law enforcement.

Rex, the police canine, is on the verge of retirement after 10 years of service.

Chief Mike Mullins said German shepherds, the breed of dogs used in law enforcement, commonly suffer from hip dysplasia after turning between 8 and 10 years old.

Rex, 10, has begun to develop this condition.

“It’s exceptional he’s lasted 10 years,” Mullins said.

And now his career as a police canine is winding down.

“We’re already using him less,” Mullins said.

Since 1993, the police department has had two canines for tracking and narcotics detection.

Police Sgt. Craig Godbold, who was a canine officer for eight years, said canines have been instrumental to the police department over the years.

“They’re multipurpose dogs,” he said.

He said in his years as a canine officer, a dog tracked a rape suspect to the suspect’s house.

Another incident involved a canine detecting narcotics, which led to the discovery of 80 pounds of marijuana in a vehicle.

The dogs are trained to detect narcotics.

If narcotics are detected in a vehicle during a routine stop, Godbold said that is enough probable cause to search the vehicle.

He said canines are useful in tracking missing children and elderly people.

They are also used for officer safety.

“If we have to search a building at night, it’s easier and safer for a dog to go in and search the building instead of sending in five officers,” Godbold said.

Godbold said the dogs are also trained in criminal apprehension, but they are not attack dogs.

“A lot of times when a criminal is faced with a canine, they’d rather surrender,” he said. “Nine times out of 10 they give up because they can’t bluff the dog, and they can’t outrun it.”

Now, with Rex retiring, the police department would like to replace him.

Mullins said the dogs are shipped from Belgium and trained by Canine Unlimited in Tulsa, Okla.

Training, handling and room and board for the canine officer’s training with the dog rounds out to $8,900.

Mullins said when he was putting together his 2008-2009 fiscal year budget, Rex wasn’t showing signs of nearing retirement, so he didn’t budget for a new dog.

The police department is asking for donations from businesses and the community to purchase and train a new dog.

Mullins said the donations are tax deductible.

Checks should be made payable to the City of Natchez and mailed to the police department, with attention to Mullins, at 233 D’Evereux Drive.

In the past, two dogs have been purchased solely on corporate donations.

Mullins said in the event the full amount isn’t raised, he could find some excess money in the police budget, more than likely from fuel.

After Rex retires, he will be stay with his handler, Officer Brian Seyfarth.