A sad note out of Spring Hill. Loki, a K-9 who joined the Spring Hill Police Department in 2021, passed away from kidney failure November 12th, at the age of 6.
Loki was a Belgian malinois/shepherd mix dog who was trained in detecting drugs, such as heroin, meth, and cocaine. He was also involved in building searches, tracking, and aggression control.
Loki came from the Olathe Police Department after medical scans showed he had an underdeveloped kidney that needed to be removed. To save Loki from being euthanized, the Spring Hill Police Department took him in to replace another K-9 who had recently retired. Loki played a vital role in dozens of cases during his tenure with his handler. He will be missed.
The Baltimore Police Department instituted the first successful K-9 program that gained national attention in 1956. Other cities followed, including Kansas City, which formed it’s canine unit in 1960. By the 1970s, the use of police dogs had become more mainstream across the United States.
