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Died – 10/27/15
Handler – Officer Chris Jacobson
After ten years, hundreds of arrests, police dog Zando dies of cancer
During his first day as a police dog, Zando found 789 packets of heroin for the Blackman-Leoni Township public safety department. In March 2010, a priest blessed his nose. That night, he tracked down a woman through rain, sleet and 32 degree weather, saving her life. “Since the very first day, he’s been involved in some great cases,” Blackman-Leoni Township public safety officer Jake Jacobson said, just hours after Zando died Tuesday, Oct. 27. “Whenever you catch somebody — find a drug hide, or do what you’re supposed to do — it’s like hitting a grand slam. “It’s a great feeling,” Jacobson added. “And out there in scanner land — if we caught a guy — they’d know (it was) Zando.” After ten years, hundreds of arrests and thousands of training hours, Zando was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and put down Tuesday Oct. 27. For Jacobson, a 20-year veteran of the department, Zando’s death marked the loss of a beloved partner, family member and friend. “You expect this day to come,” Jacobson said, settling into his first shift in ten years without Zando by his side. “For Zando and I, it happened too fast,” he added. Born in Czechoslovakia, Zando graduated from Northern Michigan K9, a police academy for K-9 units, in 2006. At 6-months-old, Zando was assigned to Jacobson and the Blackman-Leoni Township public safety department’s K-9 unit. Zando did not leave Jacobson’s side throughout his 10-year career, and as the two worked multiple cases alongside various Jackson County police departments, the police dog became part of the family. “Since the first day I’ve had Zando, he’s never had a night away from home,” Jacobson said, remembering how the German Shepard would travel the Midwest on family trips, sleep in motel rooms and attend his son’s hockey games. “I couldn’t ever think about leaving him alone and he never missed a day of work,” Jacobson added. During his career, Zando tracked down and caught roughly 100 criminals as well as attended dozens of K-9 demonstrations presented to Jackson-area students, youth groups and churches, Jacobson said. “He loved to do it,” said Jacobson, as he mused over the dual nature of police dogs: tenacity and warmth. “When they hear the velcro on your vest and the keys on your gun belt, they whine and get geared up, because they want to get into the patrol car and go,” Jacobson said. “But there are times during your shift when you see kids on the playground, or people who come up wanting to pet them,” he added. “(Zando) was always friendly towards those people and kids. “He’s a big lover and always has been,” Jacobson said. Jacobson said he’s trained Zando up to six hours each week, ever since they became partners. “You make training more difficult as time goes, to keep up their senses,” Jacobson said, noting he finds the work necessary and has started to train a 2-year-old police K-9 named Hooch, who was set to replace Zando as he approached retirement. “Being a K-9 handler,you get to be involved in a lot of big cases, and when a prisoner escapes or when the fugitive task force team calls you in to do a track, it’s a privilege,” he said. Zando appeared to be perfectly healthy until two weeks ago, when Jacobson noticed the dog growing lethargic, he said. On Monday, Oct. 26, Zando had two violent seizures while out on patrol. He was taken to the Blackman Animal Clinic, which treats the department’s police dogs, and after a round of tests, veterinarians determined Zando was dying of pancreatic cancer and would have to be put down. Jacobson returned to the clinic the next day with his wife, Jodi. His son, Christopher, took off classes from Michigan State University to say goodbye to Zando. “The whole family went in and got to be with him, ” Jacobson said, adding his fellow officers heard the news and traveled to the clinic to honor his fallen partner. “I didn’t call anybody, but all the guys from work heard, and a lot showed up,” Jacobson said. “It was quite an honor … to see a police K-9 officer put down … and (how) they took the time to show up and (pay their) respects,” Jacobson reflected. “It was a special moment.” Blackman-Leoni Public Safety Director Mike Jester insisted Jacobson take Tuesday night off work to be with his family, but Jacobson wanted to stay committed to Hooch’s training. “Tonight starts a new chapter,” Jacobson said, a few hours into his Tuesday night shift. “There’s a lot (for Hooch) to learn and experience… and it’s going good; he’s a good (K-9).” “But he’s got some very big paws to fill,” he added.
