Handler – Officer Kayne
Police dog Yoda mourned
A Tauranga-based police dog has died but his legacy will live on through the 65 puppies he sired. The Police Dog Trust announced the death of police dog Yoda. He was an exceptional operational dog that will be sorely missed at Tauranga Dog Section. Yoda has also contributed to the breeding program at the Dog Training Centre, having sired 65 puppies. Yoda’s legacy will certainly continue on for many years to come. Our thoughts are with Yoda’s handler Kayne and his family. “He was an exceptional operational dog that will be sorely missed at Tauranga Dog Section,” Yoda has featured in many media stories from as early as 2007 when he was hailed as a “wonder dog” when he was still a puppy. His father Diezel was a top police dog in the UK, In 2012 Yoda could be proud after competing against four of his pups in the annual New Zealand Dog Championships in Trentham. “Yoda’s legacy will certainly continue on for many years to come. Our thoughts are with Yoda’s handler Kayne and his family,” the trust said. Ezra, a grandson of Yoda, was featured in the news late last year when as a puppy he began the path to becoming an operational police dog. Many people paid tribute to the work Yoda did in comments. “RIP Yoda. I remember him as a puppy with his floppy ears walking up my street,” one person said. Yoda was 9 years old and was described as a “wonder dog” when he arrived in Tauranga from Trentham in 2007.