Passing of Retired SacPD K9 "Devo"
My partner passed away Saturday, February 10, 2007, and he took a little bit of me with him. He was 13 years old. To me, he was my best friend, my guar
dian, and my partner. Devo is with his friends now, chasing his ball, or a cat, or spreading the trash around the floor looking for food even though he just ate. Not a minute goes by that I don’t miss his presence. I believe, in time, the sadness will be somewhat replaced by the wonderful memories of times we had together and the life we shared. Devo loved people, especially children. While this dog had an amazing capacity for love, he also had the heart of a lion. He did his job because he loved it.
When I first saw Devo at the vendor, he acted like he wanted to attack everyone he saw. He jumped nearly six feet straight up in the kennel, growling and barking, as we approached. He passed all the tests with flying colors. When it was time to load him in the Veri-kennel for his ride to his new home, he bit one of the handlers, drawing his first blood! The other handler looked at me and said I was going to have “fun” when I got home and released him from his cage! In the car, I sat next to him. Devo was growling and snarling at me through the cage. I kept thinking of that word “fun” the other handler had used! About half-way home (on this six-hour trip), we went through the drive-thru at McDonald’s, where I got a Big Mac. As I was eating, I noticed something was different. The growling next to me was now replaced by a loud curious “sniffing!” I looked at Devo and decided to offer him a piece of hamburger. He growled as my hand approached, but gladly took the offered treat. I offered a second and a third. The growling stopped, the mad, glazing eyes cooled, and the tail began wagging. With help from McDonald’s, Devo and I began what was to be a life-long friendship. When we got home, it was “fun” letting him out of his cage and into my life. 
During Devo’s career he made many felony apprehensions. If suspects run, hide or try to fight the dog, they get a 75-pound German Shepherd attached to them. Many of Devo’s apprehensions were made without bites. When they saw that big dog running full speed toward them they simply gave up. Many of them were so frightened by his appearance that, by the time I caught up to where Devo had them, they had the telltale wet spot on the front of their pants and some had an unpleasant odor about them….
On one special Code 3 call, we were called to assist SWAT in a foot pursuit of a homicide suspect who was possibly armed. We were close by and arrived in seconds. I saw the SWAT officers in full gear with their M-16’s chasing the bad guy down the street. They were yelling “stop or we will shoot.” The bad guy kept running. I jumped from my car with Devo at my side, and yelled, “Stop or I will send the dog!” The suspect immediately stopped and laid down on the ground. The suspect later told me he was more afraid of the dog than getting shot!
On another occasion, Devo found a suspect who was hiding in the bushes. The suspect was holding a gun under his chest. The suspect said that when Devo bit him he forgot all about the loaded gun, possibly deterring any searching officer from getting hurt.
We will never know how many lives Devo saved by locating concealed bad guys, but we all felt safer with him out front searching, rather than stumbling along blindly looking for a hidden suspect without him.
As Devo got older, he began to have trouble walking, especially after lying down for a while. He now was about 12 years old. One day he just collapsed on the floor and didn’t move. He was carried into the house and taken to the Vet where they took X-rays. They told us that Devo had arthritis in his spine. They gave us medicine for him and it did help some. I enjoyed working with Devo, but what I will really miss is his companionship. It seems so unfair that such a wonderful animal has but a short time on this earth. The qualities that they possess by nature are so cherished, but rarely attained by humans - unconditional love and loyalty, to name two.
My wife was with Devo when he passed; she was holding him, stroking his fur and talking to him. It deeply affected both of us, but I am glad he didn’t have to go through it alone. This house will never be the same without him.
His tombstone will read: “Rest In Peace My True Friend.”
Rick Osborn
K9 Officer
Devo was 13 years old and faithfully served the City and Department alongside Officer Rick Osborn from 1995-2006, before he was retired last ye
ar. Rick is currently working with his new canine partner, Jerry Lee. The Sacramento Police Department currently employs 10 officer-canine patrol teams, 1 bomb detecting canine, and 1 narcotics detecting canine. Police canines are used primarily by the Department for situations where the life of an officer or citizen is in danger, or when it is too dangerous to conduct a search without a dog. Department canines also assist on SWAT, narcotics and parolee sweep operations, as well as patrolling the city’s parks. In addition to enforcement duties, canines are a popular attraction providing demonstrations of their skills and training at community events and competitions.
The Sacramento Police Canine Association paid for all of Devo’s medical bills after he retired, as well as the burial expenses. The association is a non-profit organization that supports SacPD’s retired canines. For more information, contact the Sacramento Police Canine Association, 2014 Capitol Ave, Suite 100; Sacramento, CA 95814, or visit their website at: www.spdk9.org.
