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Died – 7/23/20
Handler – Cpl. James Casey
K-9 Kerel died at home Thursday surrounded by his family and partner Cpl. James Casey, following 8 years of service with the agency. The German Shepherd was 9-years-old. K-9 Kerel was having difficulty breathing a few days ago. X-rays showed the dog had late-stage cancer, which had already spread, undetected, from his lungs to his spleen. Treatment was not possible, and Cpl. Casey made plans to have the dog put down Friday. Instead, he said, K-9 Kerel went out on his own terms. “My 5-year-old daughter said ‘Daddy, can we get him on the couch?’” Cpl. Casey said. “He laid with my wife and my kids and looked back at me. I was sitting behind him in a chair and I came over and gave him a hug and a kiss and five minutes later my wife said he was losing it. His end of watch was 7:20 p.m.” K-9 Kerel was a dual purpose K-9, meaning he worked both narcotics and patrol. Just two weeks before his death, he apprehended a suspect in a case. “He took many felons off the street,” Cpl. Casey said. “But he was so well balanced. He was great with my kids. At home, he was a regular dog.” K-9 Kerel was often used in demonstrations for school children and was friendly with strangers. “He was so gentle,” Cpl. Casey said. “Everybody knew that dog.” Sgt. William Gifford of the K-9 Unit said he has already begun scouting for a replacement K-9 for Cpl. Casey, whose first K-9 partner was Kerel. “He was a senior K-9 in the unit so we’ve lost Kerel’s experience, but now Cpl. Casey’s experience can be put toward a new dog which will result in an even stronger team,” Sgt. Gifford said. “We won’t forget Kerel, but we’ll continue to grow and that’s how you move on.” Cpl. Casey said K-9 Kerel would have likely retired soon, with his 10th birthday approaching in January. But unlike other working dogs, he was able to serve for a relatively long period of time. “Obviously I’m devastated,” Cpl. Casey said. “But he was so tough. He was in no pain, no light duty. He was a warrior until the end.” War Dog Memorial Colorado extends our heartfelt condolences to Cpl. Casey, his family, and the members of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit in their loss of K-9 Kerel.
