By Ethan Erickson
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
DEXTER, Mo. — A former K-9 police officer in southeast Missouri will serve 15 days in jail in connection with the death of his police dog, found dead in his kennel in what court documents called “starvation and dehydration.”
A second dog, retired from the department, was also found in poor condition at the officer’s home.
Derrick Durrall of the Dexter Police Department found K-9 Apollo dead in his kennel in February 2024, and an initial analysis showed the dog, a Belgian Malinois, weighed 41.6 pounds at his death, down from 67 pounds from his last vet visit just five months earlier, a decrease of nearly 40% of his body weight.
The dog was found to have had pneumonia, common in malnourished dogs, a probable cause statement read.
Photos show that “Apollo’s ribs and vertebrates were protruding from his skin,” according to court documents.
Durall claimed he had not noticed the decline in Apollo’s health.
Durall also cared for retired K-9 Knox, and after Apollo’s death, Knox was found to have “severe heartworms and severely worn teeth.” His weight was down 10 pounds from his last veterinary visit and he was described by a vet as “severely unkempt” and having a foul odor even after being washed five times.
Durall, who had been the department’s K-9 handler since 2020, was initially charged with two felonies, but the charges were amended to just the two misdemeanor counts of animal abuse. He was fired by the department.
A Dunkin County judge also ruled that he must pay the department $8,900 in restitution and serve two years of probation.
Dexter is in Stoddard County about 2 1/2 hours south of St. Louis.
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