In Loving Memory of
K9 YOSH
July 22, 2014

WEBSITE - http://www.co.umatilla.or.us/sheriff/index.html

Police dog poisoned
K9 Yosh was set to retire, unknown persons poisoned Yosh during the early morning hours of July 22, 2014. Yosh was
rushed to the vet were he died in the arms of his handler, Senior K9 Deputy Lindsey Ballard. There was a necropsy
done and poisoning was confirmed by Dr James Burgess, Country Animal Hospital. The case is being investigated by
 Sergeant Bill Wright with Umatilla Police Department.

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Necropsy revealed Yosh's entire gastrointestinal tract was destroyed

7/24/14

The Umatilla County Sheriff's Office's recently retired police dog died Tuesday, said Sheriff Terry Rowan. Sheriff's deputy Lindsey Ballard was the dog's handler and said Yosh died in her arms. Veterinarian James Burgess provided medical care for the dog since it came to the sheriff's office in November 2012. While Yosh had the occasional stomach problem from chewing and swallowing plastic, Burgess said, he was healthy and normal Monday. But Tuesday morning he was ill and when Ballard brought him Tuesday at about 4:30 p.m. to the Country Animal Hospital, Hermiston, Yosh was nearly comatose.

 

Burgess said he examined the dog and found its intestinal tract had rotted. "That's what made me think it was toxic," he said. Yosh was beyond medical help, Burgess said, so he euthanized the dog to end its suffering. A partial necropsy revealed Yosh's entire gastrointestinal tract was destroyed. Burgess said he ruled out parasites and disease as culprits because the symptoms came on so fast. That left a toxin, he said, but at this point he did not know what kind could have done so much damage so swiftly. Determining that could be a lengthy process that might not yield solid results, he said, so he opted not to take tissue samples.

 

He also said he could perform a full necropsy if the sheriff's office wanted. Ballard in a Facebook post said she would be willing to give a reward for information that leads to the arrest of whoever poisoned the dog. But the sheriff's office in a written statement said Yosh died "after a sudden, unknown illness." Undersheriff Jim Littlefield said Umatilla police detective Bill Wright is investigating the dog's death and took food and other samples from the dog's living area, but it would be premature to call this a case of intentional poisoning without hard evidence. Burgess said the dog was like a child to Ballard.

 

Littlefield said her grief was probably why she made the statements on Facebook. Ballard did not return a call for comment. Yoschy vom Steintal was a German shepherd born in 2005 in Germany, according to the online Pedigree Database. He competed in international dog competitions before undergoing training as a police dog.

Yosh's tracking skills led to plenty of arrests, the sheriff's office reported, and he was key in the capture of murderer Lukah Chang the night of Aug. 28, 2013, in the Pendleton Convention Center.

 

Police cornered Chang in an area above a stairwell in the building; he surrendered without a fight moments after Yosh entered and began barking. Pendleton police Chief Stuart Roberts credited Yosh with one reason Chang went quietly. Yosh experienced medical problems in 2013, according to the sheriff's office, and retired from police work in June to live with Ballard.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA