Died – 1/7/20
Handler – Officer James Williamson
APD retired bomb-sniffing dog passes away
The Albuquerque Police Department announced on Friday that one of its retired K-9 dogs has passed away. Elly “The Explosive Detector Canine” began her career with APD’s bomb squad department in 2007. Elly and her partner, James Williamson, worked together to train and learn how to conduct explosive detection work. According to APD, Elly was one of the best in the business and worked on many high-profile cases, including the Las Cruces church bombings in 2015. Elly also conducted bomb sweeps for many notable figures, including Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John McCain and Janet Napolitano. Elly retired in 2015 but remained part of the APD family. “Elly was an invaluable member of the APD Bomb Squad. We will forever be grateful for her years of service to the Department and the citizens of Albuquerque, and for her companionship,” APD said on its Facebook page. Elly passed away peacefully on Tuesday.