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Handler – Sgt. Mike Jones
Grantsville’s first police dog dies
Grantsville police paid their last respects to one of their own Tuesday. About two dozen officers lined the street and stood at attention as Grantsville Police Sgt. Mike Jones carried the body of his partner, Zoro, a 14-year-old Belgian Malinois, draped in an American flag, to the West Jordan Animal Shelter to be cremated. Zoro, who retired from police work about two years ago, was the first K-9 officer for the Grantsville Police Department. “When I told the chief I was going to be putting Zoro down, all I initially asked for was just a cremation and a box and a flag. And he told me, no, he wasn’t going to do that for his first K-9 officer. He wanted a service for him. I was really touched,” Jones said. Zoro spent the majority of his law enforcement career with the West Valley City Police Department. After his handler moved to another department, West Valley looked for a new home for Zoro. Jones said he met Zoro, and they “just hit it off.” In 2011, Zoro was continuing his career of tracking down suspects and lost people in Grantsville. “He had multiple criminal apprehensions (and was) succesful on his drug busts for us. His most memorable one was he tracked a criminal for well over a mile and a half, found him hiding up one of those high-powered tension poles,” Jones said. “That was impressive to watch him work for so long.” Jones and Zoro went through the Utah County SWAT dog class together, as well as helicopter training. According to Grantsville police, Zoro’s presence was able to defuse many potential volatile situations. Zoro’s health had declined recently to the point he could no longer use his hind legs. The dog was euthanized Monday. On Tuesday, officers lined the street outside the Grantsville Police Department as Jones began Zoro’s final journey. Again at the West Jordan Animal Shelter, officers from several jurisdictions — most of them fellow K-9 officers — gathered to pay their final respects to Zoro.
