GRANITE CITY, Ill. - Police officers and their canine partners gathered Thursday to pay their final respects to a police dog who died at age 6 while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
For the attendees, it was a touching tribute for a German Shepherd named Kof, who helped take a bite out of crime.
Officers from various departments in Illinois and Missouri assembled at the Granite City Police Department for a funeral procession to a K-9 training facility and cemetery in Sauget, where they held a burial ceremony.
Police Chief Rich Miller told the Belleville-News Democrat that Kof was getting near retirement and had a distinguished career with many successes including narcotics searches, tracking and officer protection.
Kof was born in Slovakia and was assigned to Officer Eric Bailey. The award-winning K-9 officer had 15 physical street apprehensions of felony suspects.
He alerted officers to 21 pounds of hydro cannabis in vacuum sealed containers in a vehicle in October. It was the largest find of his career.
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