Related Articles
1st Handler – Lt. Craig Lehner
2nd Handler – Officer Matthew Richards
Lehner’s K9 partner Shield passes away
Shield, the K9 partner of fallen Buffalo Police Department Lt. Craig Lehner, has passed away. Shield was Lehner’s partner for more than a year before a training accident caused Lehner’s drowning. Shield began his career with Buffalo Police with his handler and partner, Lt. Lehner. The partners worked together for a little over a year before the tragic death of Lt. Lehner, but they had built a tremendous bond together.When Lt. Lehner passed, officer Matthew Richards partnered with Shield for the next five years until his retirement, where he lived out his golden years with the Richards family.”The passing of K9 Shield is not just a loss for our police department, but also our city and the residents he protected for six years,” said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown in a statement on Wednesday. “Shield was an important member of the Buffalo Police Department, who left his paw prints on all those he served and kept safe. My prayers go out to the Buffalo Police K9 Unit.””Shield was a tremendous K9 for the Buffalo Police Department and the city of Buffalo,” said Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia in a statement. “I had an opportunity to be around Shield at calls and he was well known department wide as one of the best. That was in large part due to the excellent partnership between Shield and his handlers, Craig and Matt. Shield was very special and he will be missed. We are grateful for his service to our community.””We call them ‘working” dogs – they are far more than that. These dogs are their handler’s partners and protectors, and we are theirs,” added officer Richards. “The love that goes into ‘working’ with these dogs is endless and tireless. As a K9 handler with a ‘working’ dog there is no work, just play. The amount of time spent with each other creates a bond that cannot be broken. It was my honor and privilege to continue on with the training of Shield after the tragic loss of Lt. Craig Lehner. I will miss Shield as his passing has left an immense hole in my family’s heart. I know one thing is for certain, he will be well taken care of where he is now. Thank you to the Buffalo Police Department, The Lehner Family and The Shields Family for entrusting me with this great responsibility. Shield, it’s not goodbye, but rather see you later buddy.”Lehner, 34, was part of the department’s underwater rescue team during the mission on Oct. 13, 2017 when his tether got stuck on a boulder under the water. The tether eventually snapped, but it was not before he drowned.Lehner’s body was recovered four days later.
