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Died – 11/15/17
Handler – Lt. Trace Erickson
‘It’s a very tragic loss’: Houston County police dog killed by vehicle
The Houston County Sheriff’s Office mourned the loss of its four-legged officer, who was killed Wednesday morning. K-9 Ray, an almost 2-year-old German shepherd, was found dead in rural Houston County near County Road 15 after getting struck by a passing vehicle. Sheriff Mark Inglett stated that the incident wasn’t work-related, and that while off-duty, Ray somehow managed to escape his handler’s large property out in the country. Ray’s handler, Lt. Trace Erickson, came looking for him and after some time searching, found that his partner had died on-scene as a result of his injuries. The Houston County Sheriff’s Office shared a statement on Facebook mourning their loss later that evening. “It’s a tragic event, and it came as a shock,” Inglett said over the phone this morning. “He was a young, energetic dog.” Although Ray had only been on the force since Oct. 1, Erickson had trained him for many months and had been working together. Ray was hired to fill the position previously held by K-9 Chance, who had recently retired from the Houston County Sheriff’s Office. Ray was the only police dog serving the agency, according to Inglett, and the agency may need some time to decide what direction the K-9 program would go. “It’s a vital part of our public services,” he said. “We certainly want to continue with the K-9 program, and we have to look at options in the near future.” Inglett shared that Erickson was “doing OK” but needed time to grieve the loss of his partner. The employees over in Houston County were also coping with the loss of Ray. “It was a very tragic loss,” Inglett said. “K-9s live with the handlers and the family and become part of the family. It’s a very tragic loss for our office and it was a shock and unexpected. It creates a void in our office for sure. Lt. Erickson and Ray were a great team. …Ray had great potential and it’s just tragic.”
