 Memorials
to Fallen K-9s
2009-M The F.A.S.T. Co. donates sets of memorial cards to all partners I need your help to inform me of such losses. |
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In Loving Memory
of Partners show their skills in K9 competition They stood perfectly still, surveying the landscape and their competition. Everything they had worked for was on the line, and they were prepared. Norfolk Southern special agent Joe Shirley, Atlanta, and his K9 partner Muis, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, had worked hard for this day. They had worked as partners for two years and had trained for this particular day for more than a month. Shirley and Muis were one of two NS teams to compete in the 2006 Railroad Police K9 Nationals in Allen, Texas. Special agent Jeffrey Mason and his K9 partner Rocco also participated. In all, 13 railroad teams participated from across the nation. Shirley and Muis placed second in the obedience competition. Shirley said Muis is a "dual purpose dog," which means he works to detect explosives and also accompanies Shirley on routine patrol. Muis is trained to detect 10 basic odors of explosives. On his routine patrols with Shirley, he is trained to track people, search for articles, detain and apprehend suspects and protect police officers. Training for the partners extends beyond an initial 10-week class in California. "I try to do some type of training every day," Shirley said. "The time we put in is our own, and the job is very rewarding. Any K9 handler will tell you that it is a career within a career." In addition to working with Shirley on the job, Muis is part of his personal life. The dogs live with their police partners. "Muis is part of my family and is a great partner. In fact, sometimes I’m with him more than my family," Shirley said. Shirley and Muis trained for more than a month for the national competition, perfecting their technique. The dogs competed in two events: obedience and aggression work. Obedience work included "heel" and "down" commands and time stayed when obeying those commands. Aggression work included a simulated criminal attack in which dogs were measured on bites, officer protection and recalls. Other factors measured were the amount of control an officer had over the dog, the dog’s alertness, and its willingness to work. Although the competition enhances training, everyday tasks are most important. "We train for actual incidents that we may run into," Shirley said. "The way our K9s perform on the street is what makes a true police K9. Muis is a very loving dog. He is great around kids and loves to play. He is playful at home, but when it comes time to work, he is all business and can be very intimidating. submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
In
Loving Memory of
In Loving Memory
of Bloodhound Officer Morse with Police Chief Phillip Ferguson before the Independence Day Parade on July 3.
The
town of Duck's
beloved bloodhound
"Morse" has passed
away. The tracking
dog had been a part
of the Duck police
force since 2003.
The Town of Duck and
Police Chief Phillip
Ferguson announce
with extreme sadness
the passing of the
Town’s beloved
tracking Bloodhound
Detective Chief
Inspector (DCI)
Morse on Saturday,
July 18, 2009. Morse
was born on December
7, 2001 and became
part of the Ferguson
family in April of
2002 when he was
named DCI Morse of
Stirling Bridge. His
name was two-fold,
having been named
after Colin Dexter’s
Fictional Detective
Chief Inspector
Morse followed by
the Ferguson kennel
name, Stirling
Bridge. NC town loses beloved tracking dog
With
great
sadness, the
Town of Duck
and Police
Chief
Phillip
Ferguson
announced
the passing
of the
town's
beloved
tracking
bloodhound.
Detective
Chief
Inspector (DCI)
Morse died
from
Bloat
, an
abnormal
accumulation
of air,
fluid and/or
foam in the
stomach.
Bloat is
frequently
reported in
deep chested
dogs, such
as
bloodhounds.
Morse was 7
years old.
In Loving Memory of
In Loving Memory of
Police
dog Minka dies
In
Loving Memory of
K9
dog dies, is buried behind
police station
Hogansville police officers are
in mourning for Milo, the
department’s K9 dog that died a
week ago. The
Belgian malinois, 7, had been
ill in recent days and was on
medication. Milo’s handler, Sgt.
Kevin Yarborough reported the
dog was lethargic the morning of
May 28 at the police department.
When Yarborough got in his
vehicle to go on a call, he
found the dog unresponsive. In Loving Memory
of
CAMDEN COUNTY -- The
Camden County Sheriff's Department held a memorial for a fallen member of it's
department yesterday. In Loving Memory
of DOG THAT
HELPED SCOUR SEPT. 11 RUINS DIE
TAMPA
- During her nine-year career as a
search and rescue
dog, Marley crawled through the ruins of the
World Trade Center
Towers and sniffed around the destruction wrought by eight
hurricanes. No matter how apocalyptic the scene
looked, the raven-haired Labrador approached each mission
with a nose that never quit and a singular focus: Find
survivors, said Tampa
Fire Rescue
Capt. Mark Bogush, her owner and trainer. In the years they
worked as a team, Marley never left Bogush's side. On
Wednesday, when her stomach became twisted and distended
from a condition known as canine bloat, Bogush never left
hers. As the 12-year-old Marley lay on a table at an animal
hospital, veterinarians told her 46-year-old owner
emergency surgery
would give her a 50-50 chance of living. Even with
post-operative long-term care, there was a 75 percent chance
the bloat would return. "So I knew what the answer was,"
Bogush said. "I got 12 excellent years from Marley. The best
thing for her was to go to that little
puppy palace
in the sky." As a trainer of
search and rescue
dogs, Bogush said he spent years steeling himself for the
possibility Marley would suffer a fatal injury in a disaster
area. But the decision to euthanize Marley was almost too
painful to bear. Painkillers had numbed her, but Bogush
stroked her fur for extra comfort as the end came. "It tore
your heart out," he said. "I'm sure I was blabbering at the
time. It was hard to see her through the tears." Tampa
Fire Rescue
Capt. Bill Wade said Marley was considered "just like one of
the firefighters. She loved us and appreciated us as much as
we loved her." Marley retired a few years ago and was just a
happy-go-lucky dog "with a big
fluffy pillow
in the house," Bogush said. She had hip problems and
arthritis. Marley also had hearing loss.Bogush recalled the
first time he saw her, when she was a 6-month-old puppy.The
was gorgeous. Pitch black. Shiny. Just a beautiful,
beautiful animal." A friend asked Bogush at a party if
he wanted a dog because the young black Lab was "tearing up"
his friend's house. The friend had a newborn baby and didn't
have the time or patience to train Marley. When Bogush saw
Marley practically dragging his friend's wife while she
tried to walk her, the
fire rescue
captain knew he had found a quality needed in all
search and rescue
dog high energy. Bogush had just joined Tampa Fire Rescue's
first urban
search and rescue
team. Another dog, Jessie, was being trained by Lt. Roger
Picard. Bogush had no idea if Marley would develop the
skills to join Jessie. He eased her into the training by
first taking a favorite toy and tossing it into thick
brush."If she doesn't quit, that's a good search dog,"
Bogush said. "She searched and searched until she found that
goofy little toy. She was a lucky find." The next step was
to have another person hold the toy and go hide. Soon,
Marley treated
search and rescue
like a game of hide-and-seek. Searching amidst the rubble of
the World Trade Center, Marley was motivated by the idea
that if she found trapped people, they would "pop up and
play with her," Bogush said. Marley did not find a single
survivor during her career. But her tenacity and great nose
saved other firefighters precious time and energy, Bogush
said. Within minutes, Marley would know if people were
trapped. It's a mission that would take fire crews
hours.Bogush has decided not to train another
search and rescue
dog. "It's a younger man's game," he said. "It's a lot
of work, a lot of responsibility." Tampa
Fire Rescue
has five
search and rescue dogs
working as first responders and another five working on
certification. Marley will always be remembered as a
pioneer, a people-friendly dog who licked children's faces
in pediatric care units and, even in retirement, kept
sniffing for snacks or treats. "As soon as you open up a bag
of chips, she would smell it," Bogush said. "The nose was
her biggest quirk. That nose never stopped working."
Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at rreyes@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7920. In Loving Memory
of
Sniffer dog’s death blamed
on coke habit
Max died of nasal cancer after sniffing coke In Loving Memory
of Police department mourns loss of its drug-sniffing dog The U.S. Flag at the Forrest City Police Department is being flown at half staff today over the loss of Marco, a drug-sniffing and tracking dog who had been with the department since 2001. Marco had to be put down Wednesday, after he was struck and seriously injured by a vehicle outside his handler’s home on Arkansas' Highway #284. Marco, a Belgian Malinois, was trained to find drugs and to track. He was assigned to Patrolman Shane Rogers. “We have lost a valuable member of this department,” said Police Chief Dwight Duch.
“Marco has been a true asset to the department with his talents. He assisted the
Criminal Investigation Division in drug raids, sniffing out hidden narcotics in
houses and cars. His tracking skills were excellent.”
In 2007, Marco tracked suspects in home invasions in the Wolfe Street area and
arrests were made. He also tracked burglars in the Edgewood area in 2007, again
resulting in arrests. Rogers and Marco made several trips to groups showing some
of Marco’s talents. “He was a good working dog and was gentle enough for hundreds
of kids to come up and pet him. He will truly be missed,” said Duch.
Duch said the department
intends to look into getting another dog. In Loving Memory
of
Rice Lake police dog dies unexpectedly |
