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Died – 7/13/23
Handler – Officer Joseph Gondeck
Castle Rock police K-9 dies suddenly
A K-9 from the Castle Rock Police Department died unexpectedly last week, and the cause of death remains unknown. The department announced Maverick’s death Friday in a Facebook post, saying, “Rest easy, good boy.”
Maverick, a Belgian Malinois, was almost 4 years old. He was born in August 2019, according to the Castle Rock Police website. He served the town for more than half of his life, specializing in patrol work and narcotics detection from January 2021 until his death on July 13, according to police.FOX31 reached out to the department’s public information officer to get more information on the fallen officer’s passing. “The cause of death is unknown,” the public information officer said in an email. The department asked that a necropsy be performed by his veterinarian, according to the spokesperson, but the results were inconclusive. Maverick did not have any diagnosed chronic health issues. The spokesperson also said there were not any obvious signs of trauma. “Although the cause of death is unknown, it appeared he died peacefully and without any pain,” the spokesperson wrote.Gov. Jared Polis offered his condolences on Twitter. “Sending our deepest sympathies to Maverick’s handler and his family during this difficult time,” he said. “Thank you for your service Maverick. Godspeed good boy.” “Not only are these police dogs our teammates, they also become family members,” Castle Rock Police Chief Jack Cauley said. “We are grateful to K9 Maverick and his service to our Town. We will miss seeing him around the department and in Castle Rock doing what he loved, keeping our officers and community safe.” Maverick was paired with his handler, Officer Joseph Gondeck, in October 2020, and began training in November of that year. He got his dual certification in January 2021 when he began working on patrol, according to the Castle Rock Police website.
