Warsaw Police Bid Farewell to K-9 Officer
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Kaitie Vanderpool-
K-9 Officer Pako, a 9-year-old German shepherd, was put down after a decline in health.
Pako was born in Holland in December 2003 and graduated from Vohne Liche Kennels in Denver, Ind., before joining the Warsaw police force in 2007. He was partnered with his handler, Cpl. Allen Danko, as a dual-purpose narcotics dog.
Pako was trained in drug sniffing, tracking and officer protection. He retired from the force in May.
After his retirement, Danko purchased Pako from the City of Warsaw for $1. Pako resided with his handler until he was put down Friday at Lake City Animal Clinic in Warsaw.
Danko said his partner was a great dog and very social, but when it was time to work, Pako was all business.
“Once you start to put your uniform on, he goes into work mode,” Danko said. “As soon as he got in the car, he was a police dog.”
He also said Pako’s drug work was phenomenal and that drug arrests were what he excelled at.
At home, though, Danko said Pako was very loving with his wife and kids. If either of his two young children got too close to the street, Pako would herd them back into the yard.
“He took very good care of them,” Danko said. “He took it all. (The kids) could pull on his ears, but he just took it all.”
Pako was also an accomplished olympian, competing against Department of Defense, military and other police dogs at the K-9 Olympics for five consecutive years. He took first place in obediance, overall patrol, and patrol team – competing with two other K-9 officers in the area. He also received second place in patrol team and third in dual purpose.
“He loved the olympics,” Danko said. “Whenever we would get close to the kennels, he would get up and pace and bark. He knew where we were going because it was fun for him.”
The bond between a handler and his K-9 is unique, remarked Warsaw Police Lt. Joel Beam.
“Between the countless hours of training, working the street and living together a strong bond between K-9 and handler is developed,” Beam said. “From tracking dangerous felony suspects in the middle of the night to vehicle narcotic searches. We learn to trust our dogs and in turn, our dogs learn to trust their handler. The loss of a K-9 partner can be devastating.”
While losing Pako has been hard for Danko and his family, he said the support of the community has been helpful and he is thankful for all the kind words people have provided since Pako’s passing. He also said his wife was incredibly supportive when he and Pako were on the street.
“The bond between a handler and their dog is huge,” Danko said. “You just spend a ton of time with them.”
Danko said he would also like to thank Pako’s vet at Lake City Animal Clinic in Warsaw for caring for Pako during his time on the force.[[In-content Ad]]
K-9 Officer Pako, a 9-year-old German shepherd, was put down after a decline in health.
Pako was born in Holland in December 2003 and graduated from Vohne Liche Kennels in Denver, Ind., before joining the Warsaw police force in 2007. He was partnered with his handler, Cpl. Allen Danko, as a dual-purpose narcotics dog.
Pako was trained in drug sniffing, tracking and officer protection. He retired from the force in May.
After his retirement, Danko purchased Pako from the City of Warsaw for $1. Pako resided with his handler until he was put down Friday at Lake City Animal Clinic in Warsaw.
Danko said his partner was a great dog and very social, but when it was time to work, Pako was all business.
“Once you start to put your uniform on, he goes into work mode,” Danko said. “As soon as he got in the car, he was a police dog.”
He also said Pako’s drug work was phenomenal and that drug arrests were what he excelled at.
At home, though, Danko said Pako was very loving with his wife and kids. If either of his two young children got too close to the street, Pako would herd them back into the yard.
“He took very good care of them,” Danko said. “He took it all. (The kids) could pull on his ears, but he just took it all.”
Pako was also an accomplished olympian, competing against Department of Defense, military and other police dogs at the K-9 Olympics for five consecutive years. He took first place in obediance, overall patrol, and patrol team – competing with two other K-9 officers in the area. He also received second place in patrol team and third in dual purpose.
“He loved the olympics,” Danko said. “Whenever we would get close to the kennels, he would get up and pace and bark. He knew where we were going because it was fun for him.”
The bond between a handler and his K-9 is unique, remarked Warsaw Police Lt. Joel Beam.
“Between the countless hours of training, working the street and living together a strong bond between K-9 and handler is developed,” Beam said. “From tracking dangerous felony suspects in the middle of the night to vehicle narcotic searches. We learn to trust our dogs and in turn, our dogs learn to trust their handler. The loss of a K-9 partner can be devastating.”
While losing Pako has been hard for Danko and his family, he said the support of the community has been helpful and he is thankful for all the kind words people have provided since Pako’s passing. He also said his wife was incredibly supportive when he and Pako were on the street.
“The bond between a handler and their dog is huge,” Danko said. “You just spend a ton of time with them.”
Danko said he would also like to thank Pako’s vet at Lake City Animal Clinic in Warsaw for caring for Pako during his time on the force.[[In-content Ad]]
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