08/23/2026
A PARTNER. A PROTECTOR. A PIECE OF MY FAMILY. š¾šŗšø
For many years at Hazen PD, I had the privilege of serving as a K9 Officer. My partner was K9 Belga.
And when I say partner, I mean exactly that.
Belga was one of the top dogs in the state. He was known for his attitude, his aggression, and his ability to apprehend suspects. When it was time to work, he knew his job and he damn sure wasnāt afraid to do it.
But there was another side of Belga most people never got to see.
The same dog who could chase down a suspect would come home, lay beside my kids, and turn into one hell of a babysitter. He knew the difference between work and home. He wasnāt just my K9 partnerāhe was part of our family.
In 2022, cancer finally took him from us.
Belga passed away in the backseat of my patrol car. I made sure of that because I knew thatās where he wouldāve wanted to be. In the vehicle where we spent countless hours together. Where we went to work together. Where he waited on the next call beside me.
Losing that dog hurt me like losing a person.
After Belga died, I wasnāt sure I ever wanted to be a K9 handler again. Itās hard to explain that bond to somebody who has never experienced it. You donāt just lose a dog. You lose a partner who rode beside you, trusted you with his life, protected you, and wouldāve gone through hell without hesitation if you asked him to.
Eventually, we purchased K9 Bosco, and I stepped back into the handler role.
Bosco was young. He didnāt have the experience Belga had, but he had something pretty special going for himāhe got to live with Belga and me for about a year.
And Iām convinced Bosco probably learned more from that old dog than he ever learned from me.
Belga had already figured life out. Bosco was the young pup watching the veteran.
I remained Boscoās handler until my injury forced that chapter of my career to end. Afterward, Bosco was passed down to Officer Cook to continue doing what he was born and trained to do.
Looking at this tattoo brings back a lot more than memories of a police dog. It reminds me of thousands of hours together, calls nobody else will ever completely understand, my kids loving on him at home, and one final ride when I had to say goodbye.
K9 Belga
EOW 8-7-22
Some partners wear a badge.
Some wear a collar.
Either way, when theyāre family, you never forget them. š¾šŗšø
