Paw of Courage: The American Kennel Club Honors Three Fearless Canines With 2018 Paw of Courage Awards COURTESY OF THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB continued
Dingo and his handler
Dingo
Apache
Apache and his handler
his human family was. According to Ser- geant Reyes, Dingo will always live on as his hero and the void he left will be hard to fill. K9 Apache of the Indiana State Police, Indiana K9 Apache is a two-year-old Belgian Malinois working with the Indiana State Police for a little over a year. He is certi- fied in narcotics detection and suspect apprehension. During the past year, he has assisted in locating countless nar- cotics and large amounts of currency leading to multiple felony arrests. This past October, while conduct- ing an investigation, the suspect fled and Apache was released to apprehend him. During the interaction, the sus- pect pulled a gun and fired two shots,
one of which struck K-9 Apache in the neck. The suspect then turned and fired three shots at Apache’s handler, Officer Walter Butt. Apache quickly reengaged the suspect, allowing the officer to suc- cessfully apprehend him. After the incident, Apache fled, likely due to his injury and the stress of the incident. A full effort from multiple agencies helped to search for him and he was reunited with his handler the following morning. After being treated at a veterinary hospital, and recovering at home for three weeks, Apache was re- certified and has since returned to full duty with his handler. The sacrifice that Apache made for his handler and the community he serves was truly heroic and is appreciated by Officer Butt and the Indiana State Police Department.
“DINGO WILL ALWAYS LIVE ON AS HIS HERO
AND THE VOID HE LEFT WILL BE HARD TO FILL.”
192 • S how S ight M agazine , F ebruary 2018
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