The national gendarmerie has a very young retiree, only 9 years old.
But it was a Malinois, named Jaguar, who belonged to the dog investigation group in Lunel (Hérault).
For this breed of dog, this is already a fairly advanced age - a little less than sixty years for a man.
On average, a police dog stops working after seven or even eight years of service.
Jaguar joined the gendarmerie in 2017, at the age of 2.
He is known for having intervened in March 2018 during the terrorist attack on the Super U in Trèbes.
Last December, the canine left his handler for a well-deserved retirement.
Trèbes attack, Tour de France and World Cup
At the time of the Trèbes attacks, Jaguar was in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
His master receives a call: reinforcement is requested.
And, above all, the military needs a dog specialized in explosives.
The duo goes there and intervenes.
Their mission?
Determine whether other terrorists carrying explosives could have slipped into the supermarket.
Fortunately, there were no unpleasant surprises: no terrorist was identified by Jaguar.
Jaguar in Nice, Place Masséna.
Personal archives
“Previously, the gendarmerie dogs specialized in explosives were only trained in the inspection of vehicles and buildings
,” explains to
Figaro
the master gendarme of the young retiree,
“Jaguar was part of the second wave of trained dogs to this discipline.
Today, in France, there are around thirty dogs who are competent in this area
.
But Jaguar's journey cannot be reduced to this mission which, for him, was a real challenge.
His career began in 2017. He then completed a first 14-week internship at the National Gendarmerie Dog Training Center (CNIGG) in Gramat, in the Lot.
It was at this time that he was selected to specialize in
“the search for explosive products on moving people”
.
This is a brand new canine specialization, created the day after Euro 2016.
Jaguar at the Women's World Cup.
Personal archives.
The Malinois was subsequently asked to secure the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings, in June 2019. It was during these
D-Day
commemorations that Jaguar was able to rub shoulders with the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron.
And that's not all.
In 2019, a busy year for Jaguar, the police dog also provided security for the Formula 1 world championship. Not forgetting its participation in the Women's Football World Cup in 2023, as well as its numerous interventions during the Tour de France.
New roommates
After 7 years of good and loyal service, Jaguar joined his new family, now made up not of peacekeepers, but of three Italian greyhounds, and a retiree.
Jacqueline*, like many French people,
“adopted”
Jaguar after submitting an application to the gendarmerie’s National Dog Training Center.
“After all these years spent together, it’s heartbreaking to have to separate from him
,” reacted
his master to Le
Figaro , who is passing on the baton.
Jaguar and his new family.
Personal archives
But wouldn’t adopting a dog trained to intervene in particularly anxiety-provoking situations be dangerous?
“Not at all,”
the military canine reassures us,
“on the contrary: the gendarmerie dogs are accustomed to crowds, cries, noises.
These are dogs that know how to stay calm, especially during intense stress
.
Jaguar and his new mistress.
Personal archives.
Jaguar has now become
“a good family dog”
, continues his trainer.
“He is entitled to cupcakes, walks, and, in winter, he can now sleep warm in the living room
. ”
According to a source close to the matter, Jaguar said it was delighted with this
“woof retirement”
.
*The first name has been changed