Died 3/17/16
Handler – Megan
Fallen police narcotics dog poisoned
The death of narcotics detection dog, Fionn, poisoned while searching for drugs in Kempton Park on Thursday night, has left his handlers shaken and in mourning. “He was a soldier and we have lost a team mate. It has been very hard,” said K9 Law Enforcement spokesperson Chelsea Mercado. Fionn, a four-year-old Dutch Shepherd, died after he had been frantically rushed to a vet. “He and his handler Megan went into a hair salon and he indicated on a cupboard. He went in and grabbed a bottle which had a liquid in it,” she said. “He dropped the bottle and shook his head, and then within about four minutes he started having seizures. We rushed him to the vet, but by the time we got him there it was too late,” Mercado said. “They tried everything they could, but he was gone. He was a bouncy and happy dog and he worked his heart out and he lived for what he did. He had so many successes behind him,” she said. She said that working dogs were a valued resource. “These dogs love what they do and they love being put to work. We know that much like law enforcement officials, they work in dangerous places and that there is no guarantee that they will come home. It has been very hard, but he did so much good in his short life,” Mercado added.