RIP Basko

After reading and writing about something great in my last post, I have a sad story to share.  The AP wire reported that a 5-year-old drug-sniffing German shepherd named Basko died last Friday after he bit into a bag of cocaine during an annual certification search with the Redondo Beach Police Department (California).

Basko had successfully completed the search and was in his partner's car for the ride home when he had a seizure. The partner, Officer Ken Greenleaf, rushed Basko to a nearby animal clinic, where the dog died before he could be treated…Basko had been with the Police Department for four years, helping to apprehend suspects, including one wanted for murder, and assisting in the recovery of narcotics.

I wish I could go to his memorial service, but I don’t like planes.

Sometimes these things happen. Some people would say that the dog should not have been used for this line of work and it was an unnecessary death. And surely, there were things that may have been done to prevent an accidental death like this.
But like a human officer accidentally killed in the line of duty, Basko was a hero who loved doing what he did.  I stumbled across a site last year that I meant to post a link to ages ago. It was a memorial site for K-9 officers. Momma C and I sat at the computer and cried reading about the brave doggies who worked to keep our communities safe. I can’t find the exact site now, but I did find this one in Arizona that other useful links if you’re interested in learning more about police dogs.

Recently, a local politician mocked the legislature for putting money in the budget for bullet-proof dog vests. This made me sad; then, I was mad. I would like to see that fat cat chase down a subject, corner him, and alert his partner, all the while resisting the urge to chomp the dickens out of him while the guy’s waving a gun all around. I could grab the bad guy by his pant leg with my teeth, but I don’t know if I’d get that close to someone with a weapon.

If you’re going to have animals on your force, they need to be protected. Just like, if you’re going to have soldiers at war in the desert, you better equip them with flak jackets and properly armored vehicles (hint, Mr. President?).

Just my two paws.