 Memorials
to Fallen K-9s 2005 page 20 The F.A.S.T. Co. donates sets of memorial cards to all partners I need your help to inform me of such losses. |
Dept. addresses available for those who want to send condolences to officers. See below
| In Loving Memory of K-9 MERAK Dec. 8, 1991 - July 22, 2005  Partner: Kim Gilmore, RN, STII NW Montana, USA Flathead Co. SAR North Valley Rescue 1-SRG & FC TF-1 Am/Can CH Rockin' Heart's High Heaven "Merak" Am CD, TD, NA/Can CD, TD/WD, TT, CGC, HCT-s, HIC, ABTC Versatility Award Winner, AKC ACE Honorable - Mention winner (SAR), Cert. SAR dog (ret). CH Rockin' Hearts Miss Molly C-Bar -x- CH Tacara's Vintage Valkyr CD |
The news was not good. Chest x-rays were clear however abdominal x-rays showed a large mass on either his liver or spleen with cloudy changes in his lungs. The vets give him anywhere from hours to days before something were to rupture and he would ultimately bleed out. Merak has always been a dignified sole and as hard as it was for me to do it, I had to let him go while he was still able to maintain that dignity. I didn't want him suffering. I didn't want him in pain. Surrounded by dear friends, Merak's vet who has been his vet from the day I brought him home helped him go to wherever it is that great dogs go when they die. Talis took the journey from under the apple tree with blossoms raining down upon us like angel wings in the backyard of the vets office. Today the rain stopped and allowed Merak to take the journey from the same spot with the smell of ripening fruit in the air. During his life, he was not only my best buddy and dog, but my partner. From Montana to Fiji to many places in between, we traveled many a mile together. He met all challenges head on with a perpetual Merak grin painted on his face and the harder the problem, the more driven he was to solve it. He lays claim to several live finds and even more that allowed the families involved closure. Merak took me from a handler to a trainer, a gift that I will never ever be able to repay. He was my introduction to Belgians and I can't thank his breeder more for the opportunity to call this boy my own for the past 13.5 years. Almost fourteen years ago I named Mr. Black for a star knowing that I could always look up to the heavens, no matter where I was in the world, and see him winking at me. I swear that star is now shining a bit brighter. Goodnight my sweet prince. "As I grow older, I pay less attention to what people say. I just watch what they do." -Andrew Carnegie ******** submitted by Ann Lowatchie, SAR |
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| In Loving Memory of K-9 IKE VON (Ike Von Vandenburg) 2000 to July 24, 2005  Partner: Dwayne A. Bright CCS Security Services of Mesa, AZ 3701 Trailwood Court #912 Arlington, Tx 76014 682-551-1086.  |
Today I lost a close friend and old
partner. His name is Ike
Von. He was retired from Security work where he was trained in Criminal
Apprehension, Handler Protection, etc. I worked him in the private
security industry until my health caused us both to take an early
retirement. He was wonderful at his job. Ike was involved in many
public Demo's, and events where he had such a wonderful domeanor that
he could be petted by the children after a Demo without needing a
muzzle. I am not sure if you all would be willing, but there would be
no bigger honor to a K-9 that always gave his all. After being retired,
he always waited at the door to return to work. He loved life and
people until cancer took
him from us at the age of 6 years old. I would
appreciate anything you could do to honor his memory. Thank you from
the bottom of my heart for what you guys do! The attachments are a
picture of him and them a photo of us working. They have been scanned
with anti-virus software. If you need any further photos or
information, please feel to contact. Ike was born in Arizona. His sire and dame were both from Germany. He was working by the time he was 2 years old. It came naturally to him. Ike and I were partners with CCS Security Services out of Mesa, Az where he was a patrol K-9. Everyday, after I put on my uniform, he would run to the counter where I kept his badge, collar and lead, and waited anxiously for me to place his badge on his neck. He wore it with as much pride as any man or woman in uniform. He willingly protected me during countless incidents in which I know that I may have been injured due to being out numbered and isolated. Ike was also a wonderful pet when he was at home. He loved to play with our children and had a genlte heart. Ike loved to work so much that he was trying to work, protecting the car on the way to the Vet on the day that he had to be laid to rest. My family and I will miss Ike and pray that he is enjoying his new found youth in the afterlife. Ike Von was retired from Security work where he was trained in Criminal Apprehension, Handler Protection, etc. I worked him in the private security industry until my health caused us both to take an early retirement. He was wonderful at his job. Ike was involved in many public Demo's, and events where he had such a wonderful domeanor that he could be petted by the children after a Demo without needing a muzzle. I am not sure if you all would be willing, but there would be no bigger honor to a K-9 that always gave his all. After being retired, he always waited at the door to return to work. He loved life and people until cancer took him from us at the age of 6 years old. |
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| In Loving Memory of K-9 BANDIT July 22, 2005  Partners: Art Martinez & John Bailey Lompoc Police Department 107 Civic Center Plz Lompoc, California 93436 (805)736-2341 Santa Maria Police Department 222 E Cook St Santa Maria, California 93454 (805)928-3781 |
Former Lompoc police dog dies By Shelly Ingram /Staff Writer Santa Maria Times 7/26/05 Bandit, the Lompoc Police Department's canine whose last year on the job was served under a cloud of controversy about his deteriorating physical condition, has died, apparently of natural causes, according to police. Officer Jon Bailey, who was Bandit's handler for the canine's final year of service and had kept the dog since his retirement, found the 11-year-old canine dead Friday morning. Contributed Officer Art Martinez is seen in a tribute photo to his former partner, police dog, Bandit. Bailey notified Officer Art Martinez of the Santa Maria Police Department, who was Bandit's handler and partner throughout most of the dog's career. "Jon Bailey called me," Martinez said. "After you've been with a dog for seven years - he's a partner. You couldn't have asked for a better dog. He was the love of my life, my partner and a family member in every sense of the word." The Chinese-born German shepherd was retired in July 2004 after a career that included more than 300 drug finds and more than 1,000 suspect apprehensions. "Bandit was an extraordinary police service dog who was loved by the members of the Lompoc Police Department and the community alike," said Lompoc Police Chief William Brown, in a press release issued Monday. Bandit was the center of controversy in 2003, during which Brown clashed at a public meeting with Santa Ynez veterinarian Carl Zaboly concerning the then 9-year-old dog's ability to continue his work on the Lompoc police force. "There were a multitude of problems that Bandit had," Zaboly said Monday. "Any one of them would have allowed a dog to be retired." If Brown had accepted Zaboly's assessment of Bandit's condition, the department then would have allowed the canine to be retired and live with Martinez at the time of his move to the Santa Maria force. Brown disagreed with Zaboly's assessment of the dog's condition and insisted he remain with the Lompoc force, retiring Bandit one year later. The decision forced an emotional separation, Martinez said, not only from him but also from his family, including his children who had grown up with the dog. Since Bandit's retirement in the summer of 2004, his duties have been taken over by Xito, a German-born German shepherd who is partnered with Officer Willy Francis. Xito is on medical leave because of a herniated disk. The Police Department press release said a ceremony to honor Bandit will be held at a later date. |
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| In
Loving Memory of K-9 TOSKA August , 2005  Partner: Officer Steve Nelson Lodi Police Department 215 West Elm St. Lodi, CA 95240 209-333-6727 
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When
the vehicle finally stopped,
officers focused on the main suspect, but Tosca obeyed Freeman and went
after a female passenger when she tried to run from authorities. Tosca stopped the woman -- while the
suspect's dog tried to attack Tosca. The trained police dog refused to
fight the other dog. Later,
when Tosca retired, Freeman had every intention of keeping her as a
pet. But she loved police work, and then Ringo died. "If anyone was going to have her,
it would be (Nelson), especially with losing Ringo. That's like losing
a family member," Freeman said. Nelson began working with Tosca,
who had been living a life of leisure after having 10 puppies. Before
long, Tosca was on patrol with Nelson full-time. Then, on July 21, she was suddenly
gone. "From the
first
symptom until she died it was only four days," Nelson said. Like Ringo, an impression was made of
Tosca's pawprint, and then she was cremated. "She's in a box next to Ringo," Nelson
said. ********************** Lodi police dog dies - By Layla Bohm News-Sentinel Staff Writer Tosca loved police work. The black Dutch shepherd saw her share of adventure in Lodi, then went into retirement to have puppies -- four of which became police dogs. She loved the work so much that when Lodi Police Officer Steve Nelson's dog suddenly died of cancer last October, the department's K9 team brought Tosca out of retirement. Officer Steve Nelson controls Tosca after a training exercise at the Lodi Police Department Training Facility in October of 2004. (News-Sentinel file photo) "She never lost the drive to do it," Nelson said Thursday. "The day I went to pick her up she jumped in the patrol car, stuck her head out the window and started barking." But less than nine months after Nelson had to say good-bye to his other dog, Ringo, he found himself facing the loss of another canine. In mid-July, Tosca began limping. Four days later, the 8-year-old dog was dead of a blood clot on her aorta that could not be treated. Nelson has continued patrolling without a dog and doesn't plan to patrol with another dog. He said he's not necessarily disheartened, but that it's a combination of factors. "To lose two (dogs) over such a short amount of time is a little discouraging. But I'll move on to other things," he said. In October, Ringo was being treated for what seemed to be a minor infection when he was diagnosed with fast-spreading cancer. Veterinarians said the dog was in pain, and they heavily sedated him. Nelson was there when they put the dog to sleep. This time, Tosca died so suddenly that Nelson wasn't even there. "She made the hard decision for me; she passed away on her own," he said. The news was hard for the whole K9 team, and it also came as a blow to Detective Brian Freeman, who first patrolled with Tosca. "She was the best dog I've ever had," said Freeman, who's had a number of pets over the years. "She would crawl up in your lap if you'd let her." submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir, CPWDA |