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Arlington Heights police mourn loss of K-9 Layka
Arrlington Heights police are mourning the loss of one of their own this week after the recent death of the department’s longtime police K-9 Layka. The 13-year-old Belgian Malinois who joined the department in 2007 as its first police K-9, was euthanized Saturday after recently being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, said Deputy Police Chief Andrew Whowell. While Layka was supposed to retire in August, her veterinarian ordered numerous tests after Layka suffered a seizure in February and detected the brain tumor that put an immediate end to the dog’s distinguished career in law enforcement.An emotional crowd of Arlington Heights police, as well as dozens of northwest suburban police K-9 officers and their dogs, gathered March 20 at village hall for a retirement ceremony to honor Layka, who was the recipient of a village proclamation from Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes. Layka, who was born in the Netherlands on Jan. 4, 2004, immigrated to the U.S. and became the village’s first police K-9 in August 2007, assigned badge number 268K, officials said.During almost a decade of service with the police department, Layka recovered more than $1 million in unlawful controlled substances and $1 million in criminal assets, and demonstrated her abilities in over 300 public presentations, officials said. A memorial for Layka will be determined in the coming weeks, Whowell said.
