When Officer Danny Haley opened the kennel door to meet Ace, the German Shepherd who would become his first K9 partner, he had no idea that moment would shape the next six years of his life—or that one day, the retired police dog would become part of the Haley family.
“He was sitting in front of me, and he just puts his paw up on my shoulder,” Haley recalled. “We hadn’t picked him yet. It was almost like he chose me.” The trainer watching nearby immediately recognized what was unfolding. “I’d leave that [paw] there. It looks like the bond’s already started.”
That bond—built on trust, responsibility, and loyalty—is at the heart of the Redondo Beach Police Department’s K9 Unit.
Today, the department has four working dogs, each paired with a dedicated police officer who trains to be the dog's handler, and a fifth canine companion named Cadbury, a facility dog who provides comfort during emotional situations. Most of the department's shepherds come from Europe, where family breeders have spent generations developing bloodlines prized for their intelligence and work ethic.
Like people, each dog has a unique personality. Some are calm and affectionate. Others are what Sergeant Jerrod Evelo affectionately calls “controlled chaos.”
Outside of their regular patrol duties, handlers devote countless hours to training and caring for their dogs. A single canine costs roughly $30,000 to purchase, train, and equip, much of it funded through donations and fundraising efforts supported by the Redondo Beach Police Foundation.
“We often find that people love the canine officers a little bit more than the human officers,” Evelo said with a laugh. “Which we’re totally okay with.”
For Haley, Ace was the beginning of it all. With Ace, he said, they were both brand new—learning on the job together.
For those first years, Haley and Ace built their partnership side by side, navigating training, patrol work, and the trust that defines a K9 team. For Haley, that bond only deepened over time—and it didn’t end when Ace retired.
When Ace left active duty, he began a new chapter with Haley, his wife, and their two young children. The transition wasn’t immediate. Every Wednesday, training day, Ace still expected to go to work. “He was very whiny, like 'I want to go,'” Haley said. “But now it’s not too bad. He almost forgets he was even a police dog.”
Life at home became a slow adjustment. Ace still sleeps in the kennel he used while working, and Haley carefully manages his interactions with the children. “He loves people,” Haley said. “He brings his toy, he’ll run, he’ll sit, and he’ll lean, and just let you pet him as if he’s the most neglected dog in the world.”
As his children grow, Haley hopes Ace will spend more time inside with the family. But years of training have taught handlers to respect what these dogs have been trained to do—and what they are still capable of.
As Ace settled into retirement, Haley’s next partner arrived under very different circumstances.
Current K9 Max, Haley’s energetic Dutch Shepherd partner, falls into what Evelo calls “controlled chaos.” After Max’s handler at the Torrance Police Department unexpectedly retired, the dog spent months without a partner before Redondo Beach gave him a second chance. “We saw that opportunity to give Max a second chance,” Evelo said. “We adopted him from Torrance.”
For Haley, this partnership looks different from the first. “With Ace, we were both brand new, learning on the job together,” he said. “With Max, I’m the veteran, and he’s the new employee.”
Like all active-duty dogs, Max’s world revolves around work, and Haley intentionally keeps that line clear.
Outside of patrol work, the K9 teams train constantly, support neighboring agencies, and assist with major events such as BeachLife Festival and local races, as well as preventative sweeps at schools and public gatherings.
For all the visibility they bring at community events, much of their work happens quietly, without residents ever knowing. For Haley, their value is impossible to measure. “The services these dogs provide for us and the safety they bring to the community,” he said. “You can’t even put a value on it. It’s incredible.”
Years ago, a young officer opened a kennel door and felt a paw rest on his shoulder. “It was almost like, ‘Hey, I got you, brother. I choose you,’” Haley said. “It was a really, really cool moment.”
Today, Haley is honoring the promise Ace made to him all those years ago, caring for his retired partner with the same loyalty that defined their years on the job. And with Max, he is carrying that promise forward.
Perhaps that’s what “I Got You” really means—a promise. Years ago, Ace chose Haley. Today, Haley cares for his retired partner and works alongside Max, a dog who was given a second chance. It's the promise handlers and dogs make to each other—and, in many ways, the same promise they make every day to our community.
“We often find that people love the canine officers a little bit more than the human officers, which we’re totally okay with.” — Sergeant Jerrod Evelo
“It was almost like, ‘Hey, I got you, brother. I choose you.' It was a really, really cool moment.” — Officer Danny Haley