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Connecticut State Police K-9 Drago passed away on July 4
Despite the holiday, July 4 was difficult for the Connecticut State Police community, which lost K-9 Drago #9086, according to a release from CSP.Drago passed away on Thursday due to medical complications. He was a partner of State Trooper First Class Kyle Kaelberer #820 of Troop C in Tolland, the release said.Kaelberer and Drago graduated together from the state police’s 201st Patrol K-9 Class, as well as the 219th Narcotics Detection K-9 class. The duo also served as highly respected members of the State Police Tactical Unit. Harlows Heroes, a Montville-based nonprofit charity that supports K-9 units and K-9 teams, was working on a project to celebrate Drago after he was reportedly released last month from the Pieper Memorial Veterinary Center in Middletown. He spent around six weeks in ICU. Veterinarians at the facility performed a “Hail Mary” surgery attempting to save Drago’s life, Krista Smith, founder of Harlows Heroes said.“If you didn’t know Drago, he was ‘one in a million’ as described by the people who knew him best,” Smith said on the Harlow Heroes Instagram page. “(Drago) was an absolute sensation on the streets, the best partner you could want going into battle with, all while being incredibly sociable and winning everyone over with his signature look and lovable personality,” Smith said, on the Harlows Heroes Instagram page.According to state police, Drago successfully located countless wanted suspects, missing persons, as well as a large quantity of illegal narcotics.“Drago was a beloved member of Troop C and made an immeasurable impact on the safety of the citizens of Tolland County, the State of Connecticut and the Connecticut State Police as a whole,” the state police release said.
