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Died – 9/10/15
Handler – Cpl. Jeff Eldridge
Crown Point police mourn K-9 officer
Crown Point Police are mourning the loss of one of their own. K-9 Officer Buddy, 9, a member of the force for seven years, died Thursday of an aggressive form of cancer, police said. His partner Cpl. Jeff Eldridge described Buddy as a special dog who was more part of the family than work partner. “It’s definitely a huge loss not just for me, but for my family as well…Everybody loved him…It’s hard,” Eldridge said. “He acted more like a person sometimes than he did a dog.” “The relationship was just awesome.” Police Chief Pete Land said Buddy had proven himself as a valuable asset to both the department and city. “He was Jeff’s partner, but everyone here viewed him as their pet. He was that great of a dog,” Land said. Over the course of his career, Buddy located 2,100 pounds of narcotics and was routinely called upon by neighboring local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to assist in their investigations, Land said. He was also routinely called upon to help track and locate missing senior citizens and children as well as fleeing burglary suspects. In 2012, Buddy and Eldridge were named 2012 Narcotics Team of the Year by the American Police Canine Association. The same multi-state agency named Buddy the 2014 Patrol Dog of the Year. “I think he had a love for doing what he did. He loved to go to training. The want he had to work with me drove him to do it,” Eldridge said. Eldridge said it is difficult to name just one thing that made Buddy special. “He truly had a love for everybody. He loved going to work. He loved doing the work. I would say he shined through the most when he was around little kids,” Eldridge said. Eldridge plans to return to the K-9 unit once the department is able to secure another canine to train. “There is nothing like going to work every day with your best friend,” Eldridge said. Mayor David Uran said while the job is never about the accolades, the team of Buddy and Eldridge were successful together and deserved the recognition they received. “They were exceptionally good at what they did, recover, catch and protect. Buddy definitely raised the level of expectations for a K-9. It’s a sad day. Buddy will be missed,” Uran said.
