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Died – 9/5/15
Officer – Officer Tom Fahey
Minneapolis Police K-9 Dies During Training after swallowing ball
A Minneapolis police dog died over the weekend during a training session. K-9 Dutch, who was assigned to Officer Tom Fahey, was participating in the exercise on Sept. 5 when he swallowed a lacrosse ball and it became lodged in his throat.After several attempts by Fahey and the University of Minnesota Veterinarian Staff, the ball was dislodged from the 3 1/2 year old Dutch Shepherd’s throat. They performed CPR on Dutch for a long period of time but unsuccessful in reviving him. “K-9 Dutch was involved in numerous locates and apprehensions of people that were fugitives, fleeing from burglaries and such,” Minneapolis K-9 Division Supervisor Sgt. Andy Stender said in a video tribute to the dog. “In the about 2 1/2 years he was on the street, he more than proved himself worthy as an awesome addition to the Minneapolis Police K-9 Unit.” Dutch also was certified as an Explosives Detection K-9 and assisted with numerous explosive sweeps for dignitary and special events in the area. Fahey, like all K-9 handlers, had a strong bond with Dutch that Stender said is built through trust and the countless hours spent together. “Most K-9 officers, we spend more time with our dogs when we’re working than we actually probably do with our families when we’re off,” he said “They’re with us 10 hours a day, and even when we’re off and not working we’re responsible for the care and maintenance of them. “They are truly a valuable member of the department, but along a real loyal and valuable member of our personal families.”
