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Died 5/9/24
Handler – Officer Ben Arthur
Albany Police Department honors life of K-9 Chetco
The Albany Police Department and its’ partner agencies honored the life of K-9 Officer Chetco with a procession on May 22.Members of the Albany Police led the procession for Chetco. Starting at 4 p.m., they carried his ashes through town, starting at River’s Edge Pet Medical Center and ending at the Albany Police Department.Chetco was an apprehension dog — he was trained to put his life on the line to protect officers in a situation. However, the Albany Chief of Police said the K-9 was more than just a member of the team.”Chetco was a member of our family, and we are here to support Ben and his family. He was also a family dog this happened at their home, and I’ve seen firsthand the impact on the family and the impact on staff here. It’s a loss of one of our own,” said APD Chief Marcia Harnden. Chetco’s handler said he remembers an interaction in which a child asked if he could buy the K-9 for $1 million. His handler remembers telling the child that there is no amount of money that would have separated him from his companion.Officers say Chetco’s cause of death is uncertain, but they believe it may have been a bee sting. The K-9 officer was at his home on May 9, when his handler, Officer Arthur, noticed that Chetco’s breathing became labored. His handler rushed him to River’s Edge, where he eventually passed.
