Warrant Officer Yitzhak (Tzachi) Zohar, 57, from Yokne'am, the oldest dog handler in the northern district, is nearing retirement from the IDF but remains steadfast in one final mission: finding a loving home for Roni, his loyal partner of eight years.
"Roni has seized over 100 weapons and hundreds of kilograms of drugs, from cannabis to heroin," Zohar shared. "Typically, dogs in the police force retire at the age of eight, but I couldn't bear to start with a new dog, so I received special permission to continue working with him until the end of my service. My plan is to retire by the end of 2024, but first, I must find Roni a warm home."
Zohar, who joined the police force over 31 years ago, has spent years in special forces and later as a dog handler in the northern district, where he trained and worked with dozens of dogs. "Roni is very close to me; of all the dogs I've had, I feel the closest to him," Zohar said.
"I received him as a 10-month-old Malinois puppy. He was born in Manof, and I brought him from there. It took me about six months to train him, and I turned him into the champion of the Northern District in seizing drugs and weapons." Roni, along with another dog named Beyoncé, are the last dogs Zohar trained in his distinguished career.
* Ynet contributed to this article.
