Canine deputy dies of cancer
Published 5:00 am Wednesday, June 19, 2013
A Deschutes County Sheriff’s canine died Friday after a decade of service, the Sheriff’s Office announced Monday.
Missy, an 11-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever, was responsible for locating more than $2.5 million worth of controlled substances and nearly $200,000 in U.S. currency during her years with the department, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
The dog worked with local, state and federal law officers on more than 1,500 deployments as a narcotic-detection dog, including work in schools, cars, jails and sniffing parcels, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Missy succumbed to cancer just two weeks after she was diagnosed.
“Missy had earned several awards in the K-9 Police trials over the years and was (a) passionate licker of faces to all she met,” according to a sheriff’s news release.
The Sheriff’s Office attributed to Missy the detection of the single largest amount of methamphetamine ever seized by law enforcement in Central Oregon, 35 pounds, in Madras.
Missy leaves behind her handler, Deputy Kyle Joye, and his family.