When Matthew Hickey attempted to retire from the force after 30 years of service, he requested that Ajax stay with him. However, he was denied and the state of Ohio stated that the dog needed to be auctioned off. After a large outpouring of public support city officials said at a news conference on Monday that former K-9 Officer Matthew Hickey, 57, could be made an unpaid “auxiliary officer” with the department and keep 5-year-old Ajax even in his retirement.

Just last week, however, Marietta city officials had said that state law required them to put the dog up for auction because it's still government property.

Hickey hoped to take Ajax with him when he retired in late January after 30 years as a police officer.

He said city officials told him he would need to buy the dog, which he raised and trained. He said he came up with $3,500 (what a local police dog trainer told the city that Ajax was worth), but police Chief Robert Hupp wouldn't accept the offer.

Hupp and other city officials said that because Ajax is still healthy and young, Ohio law mandates that the dog be sold through a sealed-bid auction. Ohio law does allow cities to sell police dogs to the dog's K-9 officer for $1, but only if the dog can't work any longer.

(http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/02/01/marietta-retired-officer-work-on-compromise-on-police-dog.html

Obviously this "law" needs to be changed. Lets rally together to help officer Hickey and Ajax. Their service should be rewarded by allowing the two partners, that have been together since Ajax was a puppy, to enjoy the rest of their lives together. Ajax isn't property and he shouldn't be treated as such.