Non-profits come together to help “the Boss” get back to work.
K-9 Boss, is a Belgium Malinois who has worked for the City of Miami Police Department for seven years. His K-9 unit recently received a grant to assist with his medical expenses. The collaborative grant is from the National Police Dog Foundation and the Search Dog Foundation who administers funds provided by the Petco Foundation for the treatment of cancer in K-9s.
K-9 Boss is charged with responding to situations that necessitate the specialized skills of the canine teams. As a dual purpose canine, these situations include interior and exterior searches, evidence searches, and narcotic detection. Boss participates weekly in service training and must pass annual proficiency evaluations.
Boss participated in the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) National Trials. He placed 2nd in obedience, 2nd in team trials, and was placed 11th overall dog in the nation.
Boss was found to have a cancerous growth in his spleen. His one month recovery from the spleen removal was followed by three weeks limited duty. He also received time off for bloat surgery.
Despite all of the spleen’s functions, dogs can live normally without their spleen. Most dogs never have a problem.
“K-9 Boss is definitely a fighter. Even the doctors are amazed on how well he’s recovered from his surgeries. He’s eager to work and still gives Sgt. Perez a good pull when he’s out training. K-9 Boss is here with us to thanks to the amazing service and care provided by Knowles Animal Clinics, says Lieutenant Maurice Sodre, City of Miami Police Department SWAT/Canine K-9 unit.
While he still loves to train dual purpose, he is mainly deployed for narcotic detection sniffs.
We all hope and pray that K9 Boss may live out the rest of his life cancer-free.
The National Police Dog Foundation wishes to thank the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF), and the Petco Foundation, for their cooperative effort in making this medical grant available.
The ongoing medical care for K-9s can be very expensive and most K-9 departments simply do not have the funds for the ever increasing medical costs for K-9s. The National Police Dog Foundation commends these K-9s for their dedication and service and is proud to assist in the costs of Medical Care for K-9s. Please click on the button below to donate to our Active K-9 Medical Fund. The K-9s really need your help!