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Died – 1/18/23
Handler – Corporal Thomas Buchness
Area law enforcement turns out in force to bid farewell to Christian Co. Sheriff’s Office first K-9
Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect and serve. And whether they walk on two legs or four, they deserve respect and admiration. That’s why Wednesday was an emotional day for the Christian County Sheriff’s Office.“Today we’re saying our final farewell to K-9 Kye,” said Corporal Thomas Buchness.Buchness spent 20 years in the Army and worked with K-9′s in Afghanistan before starting the K-9 unit at the Christian County Sheriff’s Office in 2020. He brought with him a German Shepherd named Kye. “I reserved a spot in the litter for him when I was in Afghanistan,” Buchness explained. “I was a patrol explosive dog handler for the military, and I’ve had him ever since he was eight weeks old. I’d had him for eight years when Sheriff Cole gave me the opportunity to start the K-9 program here. And then he finally got his chance to get called up to the major leagues when he was nine years-old.”It was Kye’s success as the first K-9 member of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office that led to the addition of two more dogs and his popularity that helped bring in donations from businesses and individuals to run the K-9 unit and provide protective equipment for the dogs.And Buchness says Kye is the best partner he could hope for because of their special bond.“This is a dangerous job, but it’s great to know that somebody has your back,” Buchness said. “He’s completely loyal, and I trust him with my life. As a handler, you become one unit. And his legacy will be that he was the foundation for the Christian County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit.” But Kye was forced into retirement a couple of years ago because of a bacterial illness that affected his mobility.“He has Ehrlichia, a tick-borne illness, as well as a minor spine impingement,” Buchness said. “He can’t use his rear legs, but he still gets around. He loved doing his job, but he’s adjusted to retirement pretty well and accepted his role as the guardian of my children and wife at the house.”But in the past two weeks, the 11 year-old dog’s condition worsened, and medical treatments failed to help. The best way to describe Kye’s movement is that he moves like a seal, using his front paws to get around while his two back legs drag along behind him motionless.So the decision was made to have Kye euthanized. “He’s had a great life,” Buchness said. “It’s the right thing to do. It’s not going to be easy, but every pet owner has to face it at one time or another.”On Wednesday, Buchness brought Kye to the sheriff’s office for one last time, where employees hugged and petted him and played with the tennis-sized rubber ball that Kye takes with him everywhere.“He was completely ecstatic to get loaded into the patrol car one final time today,” Buchness said. “And last night, we stopped at Braum’s and got him a bag of burgers.”At 3 p.m. Wednesday, Kye was taken to the Seven Hills Veterinary Clinic in Nixa with a full police escort. And people driving by on State Highway 160 must have thought a major crime event was happening at the vet clinic because, in addition to the police escort, over 30 other law enforcement cars with emergency lights on were side-by-side in the parking lot.Their drivers were representatives from various county and city jurisdictions who had worked with the Christian County K9 unit, and they were there to pay their respects, forming a line and saluting on either side of Buchness as he carried the 80-pound dog on his final journey into the clinic.“They are showing their support because we’re just one giant family,” Buchness said. “And I’m very appreciative of it.”During his time in the Army, Buchness had about ten dogs he worked with who either retired or passed away, so he’s used to dealing with emotions like those being felt on Wednesday. “But Kye was the one I’ve had the longest,” he said. “And I know it’s been rough on my family.”Still, though, there are plenty of precious memories.“He used to carry these big logs at the house that were about 15 feet long,” Buchness recalled. “He’d work them on his back kind of like in the ‘Rocky’ movie. And one of my favorite memories of him is jumping on my daughter’s sled. She was pulling him, and he was supposed to be pulling her.”A sign above the veterinary clinic read: “Thank you for your service K9 Kye.”And after experiencing all the emotions, tears, love, and sadness on this day, you had to wonder that if all dogs don’t go to heaven, what chance do the rest of us have?
