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Died – 8/4/21
Handler – Sheriff Deputy Michael Pink
‘He was my partner’: St. Clair County Sheriff Department mourns death of retired police dog
St. Clair County Sheriff Deputy Michael Pink said retired police dog Fist, who was euthanized Wednesday, was a sociable, loving dog with a great work ethic. Fist served with Pink at the sheriff department from March 2010 to January 2016, and served with Pink as his handler beginning in 2011. He retired to live with Pink and his family. St. Clair County Sheriff Mat King said Fist first served with the sheriff’s first and only interdiction team, which intercepted narcotics traveling through the county. He then transitioned to a patrol dog, where he had additional responsibilities, such as searching for missing persons or suspects on the run. “(Fist) came to work every day ready to work,” King said. Pink said Fist used his powerful sense of smell to search anything from airplanes to boats. “He had the ability to do things better, faster, or even things we couldn’t do at all,” Pink said. Pink said the most rewarding assignments were when Fist helped locate a missing person because they made a difference in someone’s life. Pink said Fist was hard-working, but also sociable and goofy. During briefings, Fist liked to greet each deputy in the same way that coworkers say hello to each other in the morning. “He had that lovable, goofy side to him that people could relate to,” Pink said. Even in retirement, Pink said Fist was protective of Pink’s family. Fist made a habit of watching passersby from their home. Fist was euthanized Wednesday at the age of 14 due to ongoing health issues. Pink said it’s been difficult to lose a dog that worked by his side every day and went through the same things as him. Fist was also a part of his family after spending five years in retirement. “This was my partner, this was somebody that came to work with me every day,” Pink said. Fist was Pink’s first police dog, and helped restart the program after it went on hiatus for a number of years. Pink named his current dog Faust, Fist in German, as a nod to the dog that started it all. After reading the outpouring of love and support on the sheriff’s Facebook post announcing Fist’s death, it’s comforting to know that Fist made an impact on people’s lives, Pink said. “He was just a huge part of everyone’s life,” Pink said.
