"A Tribute to Police Service Dogs" continued...

K9 Rondo - Vallejo, CA

"In Remembrance of K9 Nils"
1/24/88-10/4/98

Officer Maya Ziglar recently lost her retired K9:  Nils Von Glockenburg SchH 3, FH.  Not only was he her trusted partner, but he had a long list of accomplishments.

1. 3rd place Obedience-"91 Redondo Beach K-9 Competition
2. 1st place Overall Novice Division-'91 IVPCA K9 Competition
3. 1st place Overall Open Division- '92 IVPCA K9 competition
4. 3rd place Overall Open Division '93 Redondo Beach K9 Competition
5. '93 Officer of the Year- Colton Police Dept.
6. Silver Medal- '93 California Police/Fire Summer Olympic Games
7. Silver Medal-'93 Police/ Fire World Games
Nils and Ofc. Ziglar had numerous assists, finds, and apprehensions.
They worked with the Colton Police Dept. for five years. They assisted
the Colton PD SWAT Team and the Detective Division in the apprehension
of dangerous criminal offenders. Ofc. Ziglar and Nils also received a
commendation from the San Bernadino District Attorneys' Office when Nils
located a handgun used in a commercial robbery.

We wish to salute K9 Nils!

Maya also lost her companion GSD much too early.  Please pay tribute to "Nato" here.

Saturday, December 4, 1999

"Max the Drug Dog Remembered"

Several area law enforcement K-9 officers on Friday bid a final
farewell to one of their crime-fighting companions and top canines of
the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department.
Max, a 4-year-old German Shepherd, died Monday of
methamphetamine poisoning during a drug-training exercise
after accidentally opening a drawer and biting through a
plastic bag containing the drug.  The officers, wearing black
tape across their badges, led a police procession, with
emergency lights and sirens on, from Santa Fe to Pecos,
carrying Max's ashes in an urn. In Pecos, they handed over the
ashes to Max's handler, Deputy Ernest Borrego.
In an emotional ceremony, the officers also presented a
plaque and a folded American flag to Borrego to honor Max.
"He will be with me forever," Borrego said.

Article courtesy of ABQ Journal

Don writes, " ... he was a great dog and a real tribute to GSD's."
Vello came to Officer Don as a German import with a SchH3 title. Vello had two handlers previous to Don. One handler had mistreated Vello and the other could not handle the tough K9. Then Vello was given to Don to work as his partner. According to Don, it was NOT love at first sight. The first time that they attempted training, Vello turned on Don and left a scar that the officer now bittersweetly cherishes.

Don and Vello came to terms with each other that day and were inseparable from then on. At the time, Vello was all that Don had and Don was all that Vello had...accept work. Vello was trained in all aspects of patrol work including tracking and narcotics. Together, they had a number of felony tracks and narc finds.
Four years after receiving Vello, the team was called to a large drug bust by the local police department and the DEA at an abandoned electrical generating plant. Eight to ten hours was spent searching the place. A few months later, Vello developed terrible allergies to literally everything that he came in contact with. All 26 groups that the vet tested for came back with the highest reaction possible. Shortly after that, Don was notified that the plant had contained concentrations of various hazardous wastes. The vet seemed to feel that this had caused Vello's problem.

Shortly after, Don met his other love of his life: his wife. Vello welcomed her with "open paws". Unfortunately, soon after the marriage, Vello began to go downhill. After doing whatever they could to ease Vello's misery, Don got to the point (two years later) that he could not watch his partner suffer any longer. One day Vello sat down in front of him and the look in his eyes said it all. Don made the difficult decision...maybe the hardest in his life.

There's a new dog in Don's life these days. It took Don approximately seven years to get another German Shepherd after the loss of his partner, Vello. However, the new fellow Shiloh, is now warming the empty spot that Vello left in Don's heart. Shiloh was rescued by Don and his wife from an animal shelter. After years of having his life possibly saved by a loyal GSD, Don has now returned Vello's favor and saved Shiloh.