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Died 9/25/15
Handler – Officer Glenn Bogert
A salute to a fallen K-9
“He had my back. He was the coolest partner,” said Glenn Bogert, who worked with the 100-pound German shepherd in the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police from 2006, when the dog was 18 months old, until Memorial Day 2014, when Dirk retired four months after his 9th birthday. Dirk, bred and born in Germany, died Sept. 25 from spinal stenosis. Dirk was a highly regarded police dog by all who knew and worked with him. Back problems ended Dirk’s days as a working dog, but good veterinary care and the ministrations of a chiropractor gave him a happy and pain-free retirement. However, “on his last day he couldn’t get up,” said Mr. Bogert, who had to make the painful decision that all pet owners dread, and Dirk was humanely euthanized. Dirk and Mr. Bogert worked in Zone 5, which includes East Liberty and Homewood. Here’s a cool fact: Dirk’s first official gig was the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at PNC Park in 2006. Trained for multiple jobs, including tracking and finding people, Dirk’s specialty was detecting guns and explosives. Mr. Bogert has been a Pittsburgh police officer for 23 years, and Dirk was his first canine partner. He long ago lost count of Dirk’s many “apprehensions,” including helping officers make arrests in homicide and burglary cases. Responding to the scene where a woman had been shot, Dirk tracked and found the suspected shooter. Those bad guys who thought they could avoid arrest by throwing away their guns? Dirk used his nose to find the guns. Although “work was his life,” Dirk knew how to have fun when he was off-duty. “We walked and played ball till the very end,” Mr. Bogert said, and Dirk loved to wrestle with the officer’s son, Michael, 23. His favorite toy was a black Kong, “which was the only toy he couldn’t destroy.” Retirement can be difficult for K9 dogs, “especially when you get another dog,” Mr. Bogert said. Yes, he has a new partner — “Fredie with one D,” another German-bred German shepherd. Dirk accepted the new dog and peacefully shared his home with Fredie. Mr. Bogert is quick to point out that all K9 dogs are extraordinary and valued additions to the police departments they serve. The public displays of grief after the on-duty death of Pittsburgh K-9 Rocco in 2014 showed how much people care about these dogs. About 1,200 people attended Rocco’s funeral in Oakland, and Dirk was part of the K-9 honor guard that lined the entrance to Soldiers & Sailors Hall. Swissvale native Shane Culgan started a social media campaign to buy vests for Swissvale’s K-9 dogs, Echo and Brando. After the campaign was featured in Pet Tales last week, the $2,400 goal was quickly reached. The dogs will have their custom-made vests in about eight weeks.So thanks to all K-9 officers, both human and canine, for your service.
