He served until the very end: Remembering K-9 Draco
Cocoa, Florida – This morning, we say goodbye to K9 Draco, a 7-year-old Belgian Malinois who faithfully served the Cocoa Police Department and his community.
According to the Cocoa Police Department, Draco was taking part in a routine training exercise Friday when he suddenly collapsed while conducting a track.
He was immediately rushed to an emergency veter hospital, where every effort was made to save him. Sadly, Draco passed away Saturday morning at 7:58 a.m.
Draco joined the Cocoa Police Department in 2022 and was dual-certified in patrol apprehension and narcotics detection. During his years of service, he helped catch dangerous suspects and get illegal drugs and firearms off the streets.
But there is something else I believe deserves recognition: transparency.
The Cocoa Police Department told its community what happened. They explained what Draco was doing when he collapsed, that he was immediately rushed for emergency vet care and, ultimately, that he could not be saved.
We have covered far too many cases involving working K9s where serious questions were left unanswered. Transparency matters, especially because these dogs cannot tell us what happened themselves.
And when a department is transparent about the death of one of its K9s, I believe that deserves to be acknowledged, too.
But this early Sunday morning, this is about Draco.
Thank you for your service, Draco. You will not be forgotten.
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SOURCE: Cocoa Police Department
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