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Handler – Cpl. Charlie Bergeron
Retired Rhode Island State Police K-9 Officer Zeus dies
K-9 Officer Zeus, who served for the Rhode Island State Police, has died. State police made an announcement on social media Tuesday morning. “We are saddened to share news of the recent passing of K-9 Zeus, a search and rescue/cadaver trained Lab/Keeshond mix who served as a member of our K-9 unit for more than 9 years,” state police noted. The post noted that K-9 Officer Zeus joined the department in 2011 and later retired in July 2020. In that time, state police said, the dog “participated in many notable search deployments and educated thousands of RI school children with canine demonstrations across the state.”State police also said K-9 Officer Zeus and his handler, Acting Cpl. Charlie Bergeron, were “dedicated” to finding missing people. “In one of his successful deployments, K-9 Zeus assisted the North Providence Police in 2018 searching for elderly man suffering from Parkinson’s Disease who had been missing for over 24 hours in cold, rainy conditions,” state police said. “K-9 Zeus led Acting Corporal Bergeron into a wooded thicket where the man was found lying face-down, hypothermic and dehydrated. He made a full recovery thanks to the work of K-9 Zeus.” State police went on to thank K-9 Officer Zeus for his service, sharing a photo of the dog with Bergeron. More than 75 people commented on the post in the first hour, with many offering condolences.
