I am a Police Officer with the Ross Township Police Department which borders the north side of Pittsburgh. I was assigned in August 1995 to the K-9 Unit as a Canine Handler. My partner was "Sari", a black and tan male German Shepherd Dog imported from Slovakia. We were dual trained in Patrol work and Narcotics Detection. Sari retired in June 16,  2003 and spent his final months relaxing at our home.With great sorrow on my part, I lost K-9 Sari on July 26, 2004.Sari died from Degenerative Myelopathy which is common in Shepherds and which has no cure. The spinal cord degenerates from the tail forward.  Sari had worked for 7 years and 10 months doing patrol and narcotics detection.  He had retired in June 2003 and enjoyed the final months of his life at home with his companions, Storm, a female German Shepherd Dog, and two Maine Coon cats, Shelby and Toby. We all miss Sari, he was a great dog and the best partner I've had. Please keep all of the emergency service workers and military in your thoughts and prayers!
Take good care,  Jim
UPDATE
I have 2 GSD's now, Storm is my female and I jsut got Jack, who is an all white maile, a couple of weeks after Sari died. I wanted Storm to have a companion. Jack is a fun dog, he's a very happy guy. They are not doing police work now.

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In Loving Memory of
K-9 SADIE
  January 14, 2001-April 15, 2004

Partner: LeeAnne Rucker-Reed
Deputy U.S. Marshal
2110 U.S. Courthouse
601 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-597-9468

In Loving Memory of Sadie - Dog, Friend, and Partner
Just like most other K-9 handlers who have lost their partner, I find myself in the difficult position of having to describe what a wonderful dog Sadie was and what a terrific partner she turned out to be. When I first got approval from my office to start the program here in Philadelphia, there were only a few other K-9 handlers in the Marshal’s Service nationwide. We decided to utilize the local police department for the training, and they also had several labradors that had been donated by families in the area. Since labs were not used by their department, they offered one to me. They had two dogs available; one was a 3 year old lab named Max, and the other was a 1 year old lab, named Sadie. The trainers thought that Sadie might be a little too young and immature to complete the training; therefore, they gave me Max. He was a sweet and very smart dog, but he had hip problems and was not cleared medically. Nevertheless, he was immediately adopted by one of my supervisors.      This brings me to the day I met Sadie. She was this beautiful “red fox” colored lab, which is a very unusual color for labs, and she was very shy. She was not handling her abandonment very well, and she especially did not like being in a kennel. Furthermore, she was extremely happy to be going home with me that day. I spent a lot of time with her over the next week, and I discovered that she was an extremely loving dog. She just wanted to be with people, and she thought she was a lap dog (she would hop in my lap, flip over, and wait for a belly rub). Her only drawback (if you can call it that) was that she wanted attention all the time and wanted to snuggle quite often. Additionally, she was a very energetic dog who would play fetch and tug-of-war for hours, which is the main reason she was donated in the first place. I had the opportunity to speak with the lady who gave her up, and she basically said that she was having personal problems and was unable to keep up with Sadie. Therefore, she decided that Sadie might make a good working dog and gave her to the Philadelphia Police Training Academy, which in turn brought her to me.     We started training just a little over a week after I got her, and the trainers were shocked by the drastic change in her over such a short period of time. They even stated that she did not look or act like the same dog they had seen in the previous weeks. During the training, she had a few obstacles and a few fears to overcome, but by the end of the 10 weeks, she was a fearless and confident dog who knew exactly what was expected of her and gave 100% of herself in any task.  Because she was always so happy and so friendly, Sadie was loved by almost everyone who came into contact with her. No matter who she saw coming, she always wagged her tail and ran to greet every person (unless they were on a bike, skateboard, or some other fast moving object; then she just wanted to chase them). She could brighten up anyone’s day with just a smile and a kiss (ok, actually it was a lick). She would come bounding into the office ready for whatever the day may bring, and she would bound out of the office at the end of the day. I would always say that she came to work happy, she left work happy, she was happy to go out for a walk, she was happy to come back from a walk, and she was happy to be wherever she was at that moment. Since she was so loved, many people were saddened to hear about her death. Some of those people even gave donations in honor of Sadie, which I gave to a couple of animal rescues and to the humane society. The best thing I can say about Sadie it that she loved her job, she loved people, and she loved to play. Her energy and excitement each day made coming to work a complete joy for me. We had loads of fun chasing each other around the office, and often times she enjoyed a good game of chase with some of the guys in the office, too. Nevertheless, no matter what toy she was playing with or what she was doing at that moment, there was nothing that compared to that towel and a good game o tug-of-war after a search. For those of you who have worked with them, you know nothing else in this world compares to the type of relationship and partnership that K-9 handler has with their dog.  The love, trust, loyalty, and constant companionship has no equal; consequently, when your partner dies (for whatever reason), the loss is severe. It is very difficult for people like me to explain why so great, and it is just as difficult for other people to understand. Since it does not look like I will be afforded the opportunity to get a new working dog, the loss of my partner has changed not only my personal life but my job as well. Moreover, I have been touched by my sweet little “red” friend, and I am forever changed. Even though I will never fully get over the loss of Sadie, my love and my memories of her will continue on for the rest of my life. She was such a wonderful dog, the loss is friend, and partner.

UPDATE: I just got a new little puppy. This one will not be a working dog; he will just be a pet. LeeAnne
submitted by: Russell Denault
US Marshals Service
  Criminal Division
  RM 2113 US Courthouse
  215-597-9735 or215-597-9468

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In Loving Memory of
K-9 SONNY
April 3, 2004

Handler: Officer Steve Dunham
Franklin Police Department
400 Anderson Street
 Franklin, Ohio 45005
937-746-2882

I put Sonny down this morning Apr. 03, 2004. I work for the City of Franklin, Ohio Police Dept. and Sonny was a dual purpose Police Service Dog with our agency from April 1997 until September 2003.  Sonny was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma last September when a tumor was located on his spine. The doctors at the Ohio State University told me that his condition was terminal. We treated him with both radiation and chemotherapy. It helped to make him more comfortable. Sonny was retired shortly after he was diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, in most circumstances, a K9's medical costs become the handlers responsibility when the dog is retired from service. This was true in my case. My department was good to me and paid for medical costs and some tests even after they knew Sonny was not going to return to duty. However they could not justify paying the estimated $4000 to $5000 that is was going to cost for the radiation and chemo. I knew that I had to provide treatment for Sonny but I knew it would also be a serious financial hardship.  The reason I am telling you this is because I want to tell you what a few friends and a lot of strangers did for us. A group of my co-workers decided to try and raise funds for Sonny. They opened a bank account and contacted news stations and newspapers in the Dayton and Cincinnati Ohio areas. They put the word out that a police canine was ill and needed help. I was astonished that so many people who were complete strangers gave so much. All of Sonny's medical costs were paid for from donations. As a cop I see so much selfishness in people. It is very refreshing to see that there are still so many people that really care. Thank you for what you do. I have attached some photos of Sonny and I.   Steven Dunham 
submitted by Dusty Simon
UPDATE:
I began training another dog in February. My future partner is named Radja and he is a 2 year old Belgian Malinois. We will be ready to go in the middle of May

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In Loving Memory of
SPOT (not a K9)
March 17, 1989 - February 21, 2004

President & Mrs. George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. 
Washington, DC

US presidential 'First Dog' dies 
 Spot had been in the family for nearly 15 years
US President George W Bush is mourning the death of one of his dogs, Spot - often seen with the First Family. The 14-year-old English Springer spaniel was put to sleep after having suffered a series of strokes.   The dog was one of only two witnesses - both canine - to the president's fainting spell after he choked on a pretzel in January 2002.   Spot had a full presidential pedigree - born at the White House in March 1989, when Pres. Bush's father was in office.   She was the daughter of Millie, the well-known dog of President George HW Bush and his wife Barbara.   "The president and Mrs. Bush and the entire Bush family are deeply saddened by the passing of Spot," the White House said in a statement.   Well-travelled The White House website has posted a video of Spot playing with Mr. Bush's other dog Barney, a three-year-old Scottish terrier.
 SPOT
Born 17 March 1989
Favorite food: Bacon-flavored dog treats
Named after Scott Fletcher, a former Texas Rangers baseball player
Source: White House website
 
The pair were often seen greeting the president at the White House on his return from trips, and travelled with Mr. Bush and his wife Laura to their ranch in Texas or Camp David. The dogs were alone with Mr. Bush when he suffered a fainting spell after choking on a pretzel in January 2002. The president was watching an American football game on television, when he choked and passed out for a few moments. "I hit the deck and woke up and there were Barney and Spot showing a lot of concern," Mr. Bush said later. The Bush family's other pet is a cat called India, also known as Willie. 
 (memorial cards and book sent)  received lovely letter from Mrs. Bush.

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In Loving Memory of
K-9 SMOKEY  
  May 2004 
                           
Handler: Officer Jerry Leonard
Romulus Police Department
11165 Olive St
Romulus, MI 48174
(734) 941-8400

      Spleen Cancer   <>http://www.thenewsherald.com/stories/052304/loc_20040523046.shtml
 Members of the Police Department were saddened by the death of "one of their own" this week. Smokey, the department's K9 unit, died of cancer Monday. Officer Jerry Leonard, the dog's handler, said Smokey served the department unconditionally. For six year, he often visited area schools, civic groups and residents.  Deputy Chief Jerry Champagne said the dog will be greatly missed by the department, as well as the Leonard family.  The K9 became ill about two weeks ago. Leonard said he just wasn't himself and even turned down treats.  He accompanied Leonard to 34th District Court later in the week and just laid down in the prosecutor's office. He normally would roam about the room.  After a trip to the veterinarian and then surgery to remove a mass in his spleen, he showed some improvement, but had difficulty using his rear legs. He also couldn't hear.  Just when Leonard thought Smokey was on the road to recovery, he found him lying on the floor in extreme distress.  "Smokey expired in my arms at his home," Leonard said. "He was the best partner I ever had. I would have done anything in my power to save him."  The veterinarian called Leonard just after his death and said the results from a biopsy of the mass showed Smokey had an aggressive type of cancer that attacks the spleen.  Smokey is considered a "fallen hero" to the department.
-- Jackie Harrison-Martin  submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA