Undiagnosed condition leads to death of Salt Lake K9 officer
Mar 18, 2024, 2:00 PM | Updated: 4:30 pm
(Salt Lake City Police Department)
SALT LAKE CITY — A canine member of the Salt Lake City Police Department died unexpectedly on Sunday. K9 Bruce died of a medical condition that was previously undiagnosed, the department said in a press release.
“This is devastating to K9 Bruce’s partner, his family, the K9 squad, and our entire department,” said Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown. “K9 Bruce represented the epitome of what we expect in a police canine. His temperament was always courageous when on the job yet gentle enough to be loved by everyone he met, including children.”
K9 Bruce is credited with searching for and finding more than 30 people since he began police service in 2021.
The police department said Bruce was involved in searching for violent offenders and fugitives, as well as missing persons.
He was just eight weeks old when he was transported from Iowa to join Salt Lake City police.
“K9 Bruce achieved so much, and we are in debt to his service and legacy,” Brown said. “I will remember K9 Bruce for his personality, persistence, and the way he protected our city.”
Today, we sadly announced one of our police bloodhounds, K9 Bruce, died unexpectedly.
Details: https://t.co/DvPjw9tftU#SLC #SLCPD #SaltLakeCity pic.twitter.com/92GTomnTDT
— Salt Lake City Police (@slcpd) March 18, 2024