Sorry Goose, Maverick is retired.
After nearly eight years as a member of the Orland Park Police Department, Maverick, an 8-year-old (that’s 56 in people years) Hanoverian Hound, has officially retired.
The Orland Park Village Board held a brief reception during the board meeting Monday night for the popular K9 officer and his handler Joe Zumerling, in the lobby of the village hall. Maverick had been used almost entirely for tracking and narcotics detection in his career.
The Orland Park Police Department received Maverick in 2018 after he completed training in both narcotics detection and using scent to locate missing people. Officer Zumerling said Maverick had been deployed more than 200 times during his tenure.
During that time, Maverick has been credited with finding several kilos of narcotics and both dangerous and missing persons.
In early 2025, Maverick experienced significant medical issues, including surgery to relieve a herniated disc in his cervical spine. While the procedure was successful and Maverick passed his annual state certification after the surgery, the physical demands of police work are considerable. With Maverick approaching nine years of age, the decision was made to retire him from active-duty effective April 6, 2026.
Police Chief Eric Rossi said Maverick is the only Hanoverian Hound used in law enforcement in Illinois.
“Maverick has been a phenomenal asset to the department,” Rossi said. “He will be missed. But now he gets to retire and enjoy life as a full-time pet with his family.”
