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Died 3/22/24
Handler – officer Tyler Houldsworth
Seabrook PD grieves death of K-9 Henry after leukemia battle
Hearts broke at the Police Department when word spread that K9 Henry died Friday at the home of his partner, Seabrook police officer Tyler Houldsworth.“Henry was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of leukemia and given a grim prognosis,” Seabrook Police Chief Brett Walker said. “While his mind wanted to continue with his duties and active lifestyle, his body would simply not allow it.”Badge number 115, Henry arrived in Seabrook as a 13-month-old trainee in September 2017 with his first partner, now retired officer David Hersey. Later, after he graduated from the Boston Canine Police Academy, he was introduced to the public at a Board of Selectmen meeting in March 2018. He proceeded to win the hearts of everyone he met, except the criminals he caught, of course.“I loved that dog,” said Selectwoman Theresa Kyle, one of the three on the board at the time who approved his purchase. “He was a great police dog.”Kyle said when not on police business tracking down evidence and criminals, Henry was a goodwill ambassador for local law enforcement. He had an intimidating growl for offenders, according to Kyle, but a loving heart for pretty much everyone else.For those mourning his loss at Hampton Veterinary Clinic, whose hearts he stole the minute they met him, he was a real smile-maker.“Henry was the absolute best boy, and we are so very grateful to have been a part of his amazing life,” the Hampton Veterinary Clinic posted on Facebook. “No matter what struggles or emotions we were facing that day, the moment Henry walked in for a visit, he just made us smile. Henry made the world a better place not only by the honorable work he did for the Seabrook community but by sharing his beautiful, loving, goofy soul with everyone he met.”Henry made Seabrook a safer place, according to Kyle, who remembered events when he played pivotal roles in making arrests.Once, she said, when someone was breaking into Seabrook Beach homes, Henry tracked the culprit down hiding in a backyard shed.Another event in October 2022 made a media splash when Henry’s presence persuaded an ax-wielding home invader to surrender after an initial standoff with officers.“I am especially proud of the responding officers and K-9 Henry, who de-escalated a potentially lethal situation and brought this incident to a peaceful resolution,” Walker said at the time.Henry’s tracking abilities were second to none, said Kyle, who witnessed demonstrations of his ability to find a person in thick woods with only the smallest piece of cloth as a scent clue.In March 2020, Henry exhibited that talent finding a Massachusetts man who had threatened his ex-girlfriend, violating a protective order after putting a gun to her head while she was sleeping. Stepping up patrols in the victim’s neighborhood, officers spotted the suspect, who fled, according to police reports. He was taken into custody after a foot chase that included Hersey and K-9 Henry, who pursued him through yards, water, and rough terrain, eventually forcing the suspect back toward Parkersville Lane, where he surrendered.Henry was Seabrook’s second police dog, following in the paw prints of his predecessor, JJ, the yellow Labrador/golden retriever mix who died following his retirement some years before Henry was sworn in.The cost to underwrite Henry’s purchase and training came from several grants and donations, according to Kyle. Officer Hersey wrote a $25,000 grant to the Stanton Foundation, which was funded, and the Chief Michael Maloney Memorial Fund donated another $5,000. Pet City contributed food, she said, and the Sgt. Sean Gannon Memorial Fund provided Henry’s protective vest, with the Seabrook Police Department’s D’Alessandro Fund, a bequest from a deceased resident for use by local law enforcement, pitching in the rest.Walker thanked the staff at Hampton Veterinary Hospital and Port City Veterinary Referral Hospital for their care. As for final arrangements, Walker said the department had hoped to escort Henry through town after he was released from the vet in Portsmouth, but that wasn’t possible. Henry was so weak, and they decided to just get him home with his family.Henry is being cremated, Walker said, and Houldsworth will receive his ashes. Donations in Henry’s memory can be made to Project K-9 Hero, Walker added.“Although he was a fearless and dedicated K9 officer, underneath the tough exterior Henry was a teddy bear who loved people,” Walker said. “He was gentle and loving with everyone he met and will be sorely missed. More important than being an exceptional police K9, he was a good boy. Rest easy 115.”
