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Died – 10/26/17
Handler – Officer John Butschky
Millville police report off-duty death of K-9 Hannah
A Chesapeake Bay retriever used as a bomb-detecting dog here for almost nine years died last Thursday after a short medical condition, police Chief Jody Farabella announced on Monday.K-9 Hannah was 12 years old and had started with the department in December 2008. She was due to retire on Dec. 31 because of her advanced age.”She didn’t have much wrong with her,” her partner, Officer John Butschky, said. “She was 12 years old and I was going to retire her based off her age and giving her some time at home with the kids. “She loved my kids,” he said. “She was a very, very sweet dog. She actually, between the Sheriff’s Department and here, we used to bring her around to a lot of the schools. And all the kids petted her and they adopted her. She went to a lot of the Trick or Treat things.” Hannah and Butschky started together at the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department in 2007 before transferring to the Millville police force. The retriever almost met a very different fate as a young dog left in a shelter in North Jersey. Butschky said another dog handler from North Jersey contacted him about the retriever, telling him she would be euthanized in two days. He was there the next day. “I went up there right away and tested her, and she tested very well,” Butschky said. “And I took her to give her a chance.” Hannah was trained at the Atlantic County K-9 Academy, graduating at the top of her class. After graduating, she and Butschky joined the New Jersey State Police Detect and Render Safe Task Force. During her career, Hannah took part in hundreds of bomb investigations throughout the state and was assigned as security to Super Bowl 48 at MetLife Stadium. “I was actually assigned the first day to the Seahawks and the Broncos hotel rooms,” he said. “She searched the hotel rooms for explosives, which was really cool.” Butschky said Hannah will be cremated and returned to him.
