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Detroit Lakes K-9 Dog Dies
(originally printed in Detroit
Lakes Tribune online - June 05, 2006 by Tim Kjos)
The Detroit Lakes Police Department’s K-9
dog (Chase) died suddenly while being treated for an ongoing ailment at
the Detroit Lakes Animal Hospital Tuesday.
Police officer Robert Strand, who was Chase’s handler, is unsure why the
four-year-old dog died. Since January, Chase has had periodic bouts with
diarrhea, but would recover with treatment. Chase was sick again
Tuesday, so Strand took him in for examination and treatment. About an
hour after leaving Chase, the hospital staff contacted Strand to say
Chase had died shortly after being X-rayed.
The X-rays indicated the dog’s stomach had
flipped. While doing a necropsy, the staff discovered the stomach had
returned to its normal position, but the chest cavity was filled with
air, which may have led to sudden heart failure.
Organ tissue samples were taken and sent to North Dakota State
University in Fargo for examination.
“We were just getting into the swing of things,” remarked Strand
Wednesday. “You learn something every day when you work with a dog, and
I was getting comfortable working with him.”
Chase was a friendly dog, and enjoyed being petted by neighborhood kids
living next to and near Strand and his family.
His bark was always a familiar voice in the background for anyone who
listened to a police scanner and heard Strand talking to the dispatcher
or other officers.
“When I was outside (at home), I could let him run around a little bit
and not worry about him doing anything he wasn’t supposed to,” remarked
Strand.
Strand has two notebooks filled with the three years they worked
together, and there are some memorable incidents.
One was the assistance with the FBI and Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force on a
narcotics search at a Mahnomen County farmstead. Chase found an aerosol
can hidden in the grass that contained 100 grams of cocaine, with a
street value of over $10,000.
In another incident, Chase found a driver who had crashed his vehicle
into the side of a Detroit Lakes bank and then ran from the scene. The
driver was located several blocks away.
Strand credited Chase for always watching his back and never questioning
what he was asked to do.
“He saved my butt on several occasions, where people were likely to
fight or run. I told them, ‘if you don’t cooperate, I’m going to release
the dog,’ and people became compliant,” said Strand.
Since they started working together in May of 2004, Chase was involved
in 47 vehicle searches, 52 building searches, 18 area searches, 19
instances of searching for suspects or lost/missing persons and three
apprehensions without bites of suspects.
Chase also discovered $11,530 in U.S. currency that was contaminated
with a controlled substance during a search for the Becker County
Sheriff’s Department.
Chase was purchased by the department after his predecessor, Quincy,
died of cancer. His handler, Sgt. Tim Eggebraaten, decided to pursue
other police interests, which opened the K-9 position for Strand.
After attending a 12-week school in St. Paul, Strand and Chase began
their duties with the department. The public — individuals, businesses
and organizations — donated $24,000 to the program, with approximately
$3,000 still in the fund. Strand said Central Market continued its
pledge to provide Chase’s food.
Strand would like to continue the K-9 program, and will discuss that
with Police Chief Kel Keena.
“If the city didn’t have a canine program it would be taking a step
back,” said Strand. “They are a real asset to us. It’s just a matter of
having the funding to continue the program.”
He thinks the department could get a trained police dog for field and
narcotics work without having to return to the 12-week school taught by
the St. Paul Police Department.
“I’ve put the word out with the canine guys that are well known
throughout the state that if they hear of something to keep us in mind,”
noted Strand.
Friday, Keena said he would like the K-9 program continued. He said a
determination will be made whether to finance it with a public
fund-raiser or seek city funds. Also, the department will determine
whether to find a trained dog, which will require a minimum amount of
schooling time by Strand and the new dog, or to go through the 12-week
St. Paul school again.
In the meantime, Strand must adjust to police and off-duty time without
Chase. He vividly recalls many of Chase’s habits, especially wagging his
tail when it was time to go work, even Tuesday when he took the animal
to the hospital.
“If it was up to him, I wouldn’t have had a day off,” said Strand.
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