Died – 5\/16\/19
\n1ST Handler – Deputy Kenneth Lively
\n2ND Handler – Deputy Brian Ruge<\/p>\n
Aiken County Sheriff’s K9 Kimbo Succumbs To Cancer<\/p>\n
Aiken County Sheriff’s Office K9 Kimbo joined the department in 2015. Aiken, SC \u2013 Aiken County Sheriff\u2019s Office (ACSO) K9 Kimbo died on May 16 in the arms of his human partner. K9 Kimbo, a six-year-old Belgian Malinois, began suffering seemingly minor medical issues in February, his handler, Aiken County Sheriff\u2019s Deputy Brian Ruge, told Blue Lives Matter on Wednesday. Deputy Ruge immediately took K9 Kimbo to the veterinarian, but no major illnesses were identified. \u201cOriginally it was thought to be minor issues,\u201d but K9 Kimbo\u2019s overall demeanor \u201cstill didn\u2019t feel right,\u201d Deputy Ruge explained. In March, K9 Kimbo began having prostate problems, but was still \u201cfull of [life] and always on the move,\u201d he said. But as the weeks of treatment progressed, K9 Kimbo\u2019s health failed to improve, leading to more tests being scheduled. Deputy Ruge ultimately ended up rushing his K9 partner back to the veterinarian six days before the tests were scheduled to take place. K9 Kimbo underwent surgery \u201cin an attempt to improve his quality of life\u201d after cancer screenings came back negative. \u201cRecovery had its ups and downs, but [we] struggled through them,\u201d Deputy Ruge said. Although the procedure gave him more time, K9 Kimbo\u2019s health deteriorated rapidly beginning on May 15. \u201cAfter working all night and doing his favorite thing, searching for dope, new symptoms popped up,\u201d confirming Deputy Ruge\u2019s suspicions that \u201cthings were not good,\u201d he said. Although the veterinarian was closed for the day, the office responded to the deputy\u2019s \u201cfrantic texts,\u201d and agreed to meet him and K9 Kimbo at the office. \u201cPuzzled as well by the new symptoms, the vet treated Kimbo as best he could,\u201d his human partner recalled. By the next morning, K9 Kimbo\u2019s legs began to swell, and testing from the day prior \u201cconfirmed everyone\u2019s [worst] fears,\u201d Deputy Ruge said. K9 Kimbo was dying from cancer, and the ACSO was urged to humanely euthanize him \u201cas soon as possible to stop his pain,\u201d according to the deputy. After conferring with ACSO administrators and K9 Kimbo\u2019s former handler, Deputy Kenneth Lively, Deputy Ruge took K9 Kimbo home to wait for the veterinarian to arrive. As Deputy Ruge went to take his partner out of the truck, he \u201ccould see in [his] eyes he was saying, \u2018Daddy I can\u2019t jump down \u2013 I don\u2019t have the energy for that,’\u201d he told Blue Lives Matter. He carried K9 Kimbo to the yard he loved to play in, as fellow deputies, K9 handlers, and family members arrived to say their goodbyes. K9 Kimbo drew his last breath and \u201cpeacefully passed away on his own\u201d in the arms of Deputy Ruge and his wife at approximately 7:27 p.m., prior to the veterinarian\u2019s arrival. Deputy Ruge said he believes K9 Kimbo passed away to help save his human partner and family from having to \u201cwatch him be put to sleep.\u201d K9 Kimbo joined ACSO in June of 2015, when he was selected by Deputy Lively at Ultimate Working Dogs in West Virginia. The duo worked together until August of 2016, when K9 Kimbo was paired up with Deputy Ruge. \u201cOver the next two years and nine months, [we] had lots of joys, scares, and excitements,\u201d Deputy Ruge told Blue Lives Matter. K9 Kimbo also maintained his relationship with Deputy Lively and his family for the rest of his life. \u201cKnowing the bond between a handler and canine is hard to describe,\u201d Deputy Ruge said. \u201cMost say they are just a dog, but to the K9 Officer world, they are not any animal, dog, pet, or even family member\u2026.to them, they become part of [the] handler.\u201d Our thoughts and prayers are with the Aiken County Sheriff\u2019s Office, Deputy Ruge, and Deputy Lively in the loss of K9 Kimbo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Died – 5\/16\/19 1ST Handler – Deputy Kenneth Lively 2ND Handler – Deputy Brian Ruge Aiken County Sheriff’s K9 Kimbo Succumbs To Cancer Aiken County Sheriff’s Office K9 Kimbo joined the department in 2015. Aiken, SC \u2013 Aiken County Sheriff\u2019s Office (ACSO) K9 Kimbo died on May 16 in the arms of his human partner. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7062,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[53],"class_list":["post-7060","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-k9memorial","tag-sc"],"yoast_head":"\n