 Memorials
to Fallen K-9s 2004 page 34 The F.A.S.T. Co. donates sets of memorial cards to all partners I need your help to inform me of such losses. |
Dept. addresses available for those who want to send condolences to officers. See below
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HELP for K9 Titan Titan poses with his owner and K-9 handler Department of Corrections Emergency Response Team officer Marc Russell and Dr. Chris Coon of Haven Lake Animal Hospital. Milford Chronicle/Gwen Guerke ============ State of Delaware Dept. of Corrections 245 McKee Rd. Dover, DE 19904 302 739.5601 302 - 6596070 - Mon. 18th 302 - 6596072 - to handler, Ofc. Russell updates on Titan: 302 659 6071 |
K-9 battles cancer; Donations sought
for cop dog By Gwen Guerke, Milford Chronicle Titan poses with his owner and K-9 handler Department of Corrections Emergency Response Team officer Marc Russell and Dr. Chris Coon of Haven Lake Animal Hospital. Milford Chronicle/Gwen Guerke MILFORD - A big plastic donation jar with Titan's photo on it sits on the counter of Haven Lake Animal Hospital on Milford-Harrington Highway. Ten days ago, Titan retired from state service as a Department of Correction's Emergency Response Team K-9. The Czechoslovakian-born dog served with Officer Marc Russell, a Milford resident, for about three years. He worked during escape and hostage situations and with Officer Russell in correctional facilities when other K-9s and their handlers went for training. Handlers and dogs must take an 8-hour recertification class each month, Officer Russell said. In June, Titan started having nosebleeds. Medical tests administered locally provided no answers, so his veterinarian, Dr. Chris Coon at Haven Lake Animal Hospital, referred him to the University of Pennsylvania, where a CAT scan revealed a mass in Titan's left nostril. A biopsy showed the mass was infected. Doctors treated Titan for eight weeks, but saw no improvement, Officer Russell said. Then the dog developed breathing problems. A second biopsy caused the mass to break, resulting in a loss of a lot of blood. Dr. Coon thought the mass was cancerous and sought advice from veterinary specialists in Gaithersburg, MD. Surgical intervention would cost thousands of dollars. Titan retired on Monday, Oct. 4. Even if he recovered, he would not be able to work again. "What's wrong with him might reoccur. The best course of action was to retire him," Officer Russell said. Officer Russell, who takes Titan home with him every night, and his wife, Wendy, had to make a tough decision: allow Dr. Coon to try the surgery himself or have Titan put down. "He's been a part of my family. He's so much more than a pet. It's hard to explain the bond," said Officer Russell. On Tuesday, Oct. 5, Titan underwent the surgery. There were four dogs waiting to donate blood to him during the two-hour procedure. "It was a new one for me," said Dr. Coon, who removed the tumor from the dog's nasal cavity. A week later, Titan was still taking antibiotics and pain medicine. The swelling on his nose has gone down. Dr. Coon believes the mass was some type of cancer, but at press time was waiting to hear definitive lab results. Early diagnosis is that it was a non-malignant tumor that may reoccur. "He will need radiation," Dr. Coon said. "All the money raised here is for future treatments." |
| In Loving Memory of K-9 ZEUS October xx, 2004 Partner: Officer Denzel Samuda Hartford Police Dept. 50 Jennings Rd. Hartford, CT 06120 860 572.6300 |
ZEUS
Hartford,
CT
2004 Cancer
In August of 2003, HPD Officer Holly Donahue and K-9 Champ II, Officer Densil M. Samuda and K-9 Zeus, and HPD Officer Dennis O'Connor and K-9 Duke represented the Hartford Police Department in the statewide K-9 Olympics, sponsored by the State Department of Corrections, the University of Connecticut Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA |
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In Loving Memory of K-9 BRUCE October 21, 2004  Partner: Det. Sgt. John Edwards Wilson County Sheriff's Office 105 East High Street Lebanon, TN 37087  |
Hi. My name is Dr. Harmon. I'm a vet in Lebanon, TN and today I had to do something I despise doing. I had to euthanize one of my favorite dogs, Bruce. Bruce was a rather large black lab who loved his job (drugs). He also loved to slobber apparently as he always had a string of it across his nose. He'd come in the office, shake his head and slobber would paint the walls. Show him a tennis ball and his world diminished immediately to include only that fuzzy lime-green sphere, which he would dutifully return to you, (dropped politely at your feet) and bound off again waiting intently for the next throw. He had one of the most lovable personalities I've seen in any dog. Bruce had his share of medical problems in the past but none that couldn't be kept under control or cured. A short while back however, his allergies became worse, he began to develop a few lumps and bumps and started losing a little weight. Then he began to limp on a front leg. The limp worsened and I was the unfortunate one who had to diagnose him with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) of the shoulder. I saw him a week ago and he would only barely attempt to put weight on the leg but he would use it to paw at someone to get their attention (hoping they had a tennis ball in their pocket, no doubt). Well, today was the day that we decided to euthanize him. It was one of those misty, rainy, gloomy days which made things sadder, but we did it anyway, for Bruce. I will forever miss that crazy, nutty, wonderful dog. I hate putting any animal to sleep but this was one of the worst. I was also quite proud to see the other officers, the chaplain, detectives and the Sheriff show up to support his handler. I hope all departments realize what a valuable asset these dogs are and also understand the emotional attachment of the handler to his dog and vice versa. I can't imagine going through something like this without the support of the department. After all, Bruce was "one of the 'guys'. " I also have to say thanks to his handler, John Edwards, for taking excellent care of him through the years. John (and his family) truly loved Bruce. It showed not in what he said but in his actions toward him. If Bruce hurt, John hurt. If Bruce was happy, John was happy. It was almost like a father and son. John was always so proud of him (with good reason). That, to me, is irreplaceable. Goodbye Bruce. You won't be forgotten. Perry Harmon, D.V.M. 105 West End Heights Lebanon, TN 37087 submitted by Russ Hess |