A special reunion took place Wednesday morning as retired Erie Police Officer Don Levis, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and founding member of the Erie Police Department’s K-9 Unit, was visited by current members of the unit at Pennsylvania Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home.

Levis, who joined the Erie K-9 Unit when it was first formed in 1967, served as the handler for one of the department’s first dogs, King. He dedicated 30 years of service to the Erie Police Department.

The visit was led by Patrolman Arthur Rhoades and his K-9 partner, Deacon, a German Shepherd/Malinois mix.

The current K-9 Unit, which was reestablished in April after a 10-year hiatus, is now continuing the legacy Levis helped build nearly six decades ago.

The moment served as a tribute not only to his years of service with the department, but to his pioneering role in one of Erie’s most respected law enforcement programs.