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Died 7/11/16
Handler – . Officer Chris Periatt
K-9 remembered as great officer, wonderful dog
With soulful tunes from bagpipes and all the pomp and circumstance befitting his rank, the St. Clair Shores Police Department said goodbye to K-9 Hondo at Blossom Heath Park. Hondo, a German shepherd, began his service in St. Clair Shores on April 7, 2008, and worked up until the day that he died, July 11. Members of the St. Clair Shores Police and Fire departments, K-9 officers from across metro Detroit, friends and members of the community all came out Aug. 4 for a memorial that paid tribute to Hondo and helped those who loved him to remember a “great” dog. Officer Chris Periatt, Hondo’s handler, said that Hondo made him a better police officer. “I have never worked with a partner who wanted to come to work and put bad guys in jail as much as Hondo did,” he said during the service. “All he wanted to do was work.” The Thursday before he died, Hondo “rocked his certification” in training and just a day before he died, he helped with tracking during an armed robbery investigation. But when Periatt came home July 11, he said he knew something was wrong when he opened the crate. Hondo had terminal cancer that was not diagnosed until the day he died.“This is by far the greatest job you can have, working with a dog,” Periatt said. Deputy Chief Steven Lambert said that Hondo was great at public events and with children, as well as on the beat. “He’s an ambassador for the Police Department and everybody loved him,” he said. St. Clair Shores has another K-9 team, officer Gerald Chomos and Wylie, who have been in service for three years. Lambert said it has always worked out well having two K-9s on the force, but no decision has been made yet when or whether another dog will join St. Clair Shores. The officers serve as K-9 officers for the life of the dog. “To most outsiders, it’s just a dog. (But) when a dog gets put into service … we treat the dog as another officer,” Lambert said. “When you lose an officer, it’s difficult whether it’s a K-9 or a human.” Periatt’s wife, Toni, said she still remembers when former Police Chief Michael Walleman called her to his office. She said he told her that he wanted to offer Periatt the position of K-9 officer. “He said to me, ‘This will change your life,’” Toni Periatt said. And it did, she added. Even with several “fur babies” of their own at home — plus a 14-year-old son, Collin — Toni said Hondo found a special place in their hearts. The St. Clair Shores Police Department has had a K-9 bureau for more than 25 years, Lambert said. “We wanted to pay a proper tribute to K-9 Hondo. He was a great dog,” he said. Police Chaplain James Friedman said that the bond between an officer and a K-9 is like that of two partners, but even stronger because the dog becomes a member of the family. “They are police officers, sworn and certified,” he said. “Hondo liked to work.” Dr. Andrew Dine has taken care of St. Clair Shores police K-9 dogs for many years. He told the gathered crowd that what set Hondo apart was his personality. “He was a people dog,” Dine said. “Working dogs, they’re not necessarily trained for that sort of thing, but that’s how this dog was. “The people of St. Clair Shores really love their police dogs, and I don’t know how you put a value on that kind of (public relations).”
