By Greg Welter
The Chico Enterprise-Record
CHICO, Calif. — A police dog still considered to be on active duty, but sidelined last week with an aggressive form of cancer, was humanely euthanized Wednesday night.
Toko, a German shepherd who joined the Chico Police Department in the fall of 2002, was 9 years old. According to a department news release, Toko wasn’t expected to survive advanced medical procedures to treat the cancer.
He was given steroid medication in recent days to make him comfortable. When it was determined the medication could no longer alleviate his pain, euthanasia became the only remaining option, said K-9 Sgt. Dan Fonseca.
Toko had been partnered with Matt Seipert for nearly six years, and lived with the officer and his family. Lt. Mike Weber, a K-9 team administrator for the department, said Seipert started to notice a change in Toko and had him examined.
Initially, Weber said, Seipert thought Toko was responding to cancer treatments and might even return to duty.
“He was well-regarded and thought of not as a dog, but as a team member dedicated to the job and the protection of his handler,” Weber said.
A posthumous retirement, what Weber described as an appreciation ceremony, is scheduled for Sept. 15. He said it’s yet to be determined if Seipert will obtain another dog and remain a member of the K-9 team. “It’s really up to the officer,” Weber said.
Copyright 2008 The Chico Enterprise-Record