As I sit here heartsick with tears falling, I am haunted by my 10 year old crying himself to sleep. My daughter, sobbing, and my husband trying his best to stay strong for us.

On March 23, 2018 my husband, Officer Richard Galanti of the SEPTA Transit Police Department received a memo from work, they would be transferring him from his K9 unit effective April 1, 2018. They would notify him at a later date of the future of his dog Abal.

Four days later they informed him that Abal would be reassigned to another handler. March 30, 2018, he was instructed to bring Abal to the kennel on the morning of April 3, 2018, where the dog will stay until another handler is found.

There was no warning, no reprimand, no explanation or reason. Only the sudden unjust, unsupported transfer of one of the most experienced k9 handlers in the department and the removal of our beloved working dog Abal. 

As a family we know loss. We lost our son and brother Benjamin (14yo) in June 2014, a week later Rich lost his mom to cancer. Every day we survive that loss together as a family. Abal, who adored Ben, has been an important part of that healing for me and my children but especially for my husband.

Abal is not only a work dog, to us he is family. Abal was rescued as a stray on the streets of NY. He was trained and assigned to my husband and our family in the fall of 2013. We brought him home and fell in love with him. We are the only family he has ever known.

It breaks my heart to know, that on Tuesday April 3, he will be ripped from us. Away from our love, his home, his toys, and his comfy bed. He will be placed in a kennel alone, confused and feeling abandoned once more.

Abal is almost 7 years old and has worked for the last five years. When we found out about the transfer we hoped and asked that he would be retired.

We also asked to possibly purchase a new dog for the department in exchange for Abal. (Although, how we will be able to do that I’m not sure). We haven’t yet received an answer, other than he will be reassigned.

Please help try to make Septa Transit Police Department’s do the right thing. Retire K-9 Abal to Officer Galanti.