Washington State Patrol dog dies after sudden illness

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington State Patrol says that once of its police dogs has died after undergoing emergency surgery.


According to a press release issued Wednesday, K9 Patrick, who was assigned to the Division of Homeland Security, died on April 14. Patrick was a nearly 3-year-old German Shephard. He suffered from a twisting of the small and large intestines, said Sgt. Kyle Smith. While the illness presented itself during explosive detection training, he did not ingest anything while he was training, Smith said.

Patrick had been with the agency for seven months through a federal partnership with the Transportation Security Administration. He was part of Homeland Security efforts assisted with the protection of the Washington State Ferry system.

His handler, Trooper Mike Allan, said Patrick will be missed.