Recently in police dogs Category

Your turn: So tell us how your animals fared during the weekend fireworks. Any problems or issues? Successes this year? New strategies tried?  

My neighborhood seemed quieter than usual. Not by much -- and the fireworks continued into Monday night -- but things didn't seem as crazy as in the past.

Cowboy survived, though he still was very anxious even with medication this year. The cat seemed mostly not to notice, at one point she was snoozing away on top of her cat tree as the fireworks boomed all around us.

And how about you & your pets?  How did you all do? Leave a comment below.

The holiday proved difficult for one Santa Rosa police dog, but that story had a happy ending.

Taz, a 70-pound Belgian Malinois, took off after he was startled by the sound of nearby fireworks. He escaped from his backyard sometime between 11 p.m. and midnight Sunday.

Thankfully, he was found Monday by a veterinary technician who spotted the large dog lying on a sidewalk. Taz jumped into her car when she called and the tech scanned him at work finding the microchip ID.

He has since been reunited with his partner, Officer Mike Clark. The European-born and specially trained dog was exhausted and limping with worn nails, but otherwise he appeared to be unharmed.

A warning up front: Anyone who's ever loved -- and lost -- a dog won't get through this story without crying.

Daily Breeze police and crime reporter Larry Altman writes a a moving tribute to Valor, a 5-year-old Redondo Beach police dog who was euthanized Wednesday afternoon due to kidney failure.

A dog handler for more than 24 years, (Valor's partner Officer Ken) Greenleaf made the decision to end Valor's suffering. Valor spent the last two weeks taking intravenous drips overnight at the animal Emergency Referral Center but climbed into Greenleaf's police car Tuesday and worked a short shift.

"One last ride, I guess," Greenleaf said.

Redondo Beach Police officer Ken Greenleaf and his canine partner Valor on their last day together. (Brad Graverson/Staff Photographer) 

Check out Melissa Pamer's story in today's Daily Breeze about Redondo Beach Police officers who will compete this summer in the World Police & Fire Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.