FARMINGTON, Utah, July 4, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — The Davis County Sheriff’s Office has lost a beloved K-9 that had been with the sheriff’s office for five years.
Rony, a 6-year-old German Shepherd, died Saturday “after months of health problems,” DCSO said in a news release announcing the K-9’s passing.
Rony joined the sheriff’s office when he was 15 months old. His handler, Deputy Brad Larsen, handpicked the pup, and “since that time the two have been inseparable,” the news release said.
Rony was trained in drug detection, patrol/tracking, deputy protection, building and area searches, and apprehending suspects.
He was medically evaluated after he started showing signs of injury and pain this past April, and was diagnosed with cervical spine issues, the sheriff’s office said.
Tests were conducted and numerous medications were prescribed, but Rony’s condition continued to worsen, and he was found deceased at the home of his handler Saturday morning.
“Our K-9s are integral to enforcement operations and strengthen our abilities to respond to emergencies,” Sheriff Kelly V. Sparks said in the news release. “Rony had been struggling with medical issues for the last few months and was receiving care to address those issues. We are sad to learn of his passing and grateful to know he will no longer be in pain.”
Rony was one of three K-9s in the Davis County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division and was recently featured in A&E Network’s ultimate K-9 competition series “America’s Top Dog,” the sheriff’s office said.
