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Marion Police Department bids farewell to beloved K9 officer Shaya
The Marion Police Department said goodbye to one of its own on Monday. Trained in patrol, tracking, and drug detection, “Shaya,” a Belgian Malinois Shepherd, had been employed with the MPD since 2014. According to the City of Marion Police Facebook page, the 6-year-old K9 officer passed away due to a non-operable brain tumor. Shaya was born in the Netherlands on April 21, 2012, and completed her police K9 training at Vohne Liche Kennels in Denver, Indiana. She was partnered with MPD officer Tyson Baker. In a heartfelt message on his Facebook pages, Baker wrote about the loss of his partner.”Forty hours per week were spent with her right there with me. Every single call, every single traffic stop. Shaya watched me. She protected me.” Baker wrote that Shaya was more than just a working dog. She was a member of his family. He noted Shaya’s contributions to keeping Marion safe, including assistance with “countless” narcotics investigations, multiple shooting and domestic violence suspects, and the apprehension of two armed robbery suspects in the Borowiak’s IGA robbery. In addition to street patrol, Shaya helped with drug searches, assisted with ERT operations, and performed canine demonstrations in local schools and churches.
