69° SUNNY, Cotati's canine officer, D'Jango, dies of respiratory distress
Last Modified: Friday, July 25, 2008 at 4:21 p.m.
Dog-lovers have given more than $200 in donations to the Cotati Police Department toward the purchase of a new police dog, following the death of D'Jango this week.
D’Jango, the department’s only police dog, died suddenly on Tuesday of a respiratory problem. He was seven years old.
D’Jango was a trained narcotics dog also proficient in suspect detection, property searches, tracking, building searches and handler protection.
Cotit officers are trying to raise more than $9,000 needed for a purebred police dog. Word of the animal's death brought money and flowers to city hall, where a small memorial honors the work of the police dog and his partner, officer Chris Kaupe.
police dog, which died Tuesday after falling into respiratory distress.
D'Jango was as recognized for his wet-nosed greetings and games of ball as he was for his drug busts, officials said.
"He was really approachable and excellent with people," Cotati Police Chief Robert Stewart said. "But of course when it came time to get down to work, he knew just what to do, too."
In addition to narcotics detection, D'Jango, a 7-year-old Belgian Malinois, was trained to track suspects, search property and protect his handler.
He also was a frequent visitor to schools and social groups.
D'Jango earned third place in an obedience contest among Northern California police dogs in June and came in ninth overall out of a field of 35 dogs, Stewart said.
"D'Jango had a very powerful nose," Stewart said. "He was a part of numerous drug finds and searches."
The dog had partnered with Officer Chris Kaupe since October 2005 and was the department's fourth trained police dog since 1963.
Kaupe and his son had taken D'Jango to a park when the dog collapsed in respiratory distress. Veterinarians at the Animal Care Center in Rohnert Park treated him "aggressively" but were not able to save his life, Stewart said.
A memorial has been erected in the Police Department's lobby, and employees are heartbroken over the loss, Stewart said.
"He was loved by everyone," Kaupe said. "He was like a mascot, running around the department and checking in with everyone."
The department is raising funds to purchase another police dog, which could cost $8,000 to $9,000 plus training expenses.
You can reach Staff Writer Laura Norton at 521-5220 or laura.norton@pressdemocrat.com.
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Comments
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July 25, 2008 10:28:43 am
It's always really sad when someone's dog dies but, seriously? $8000 to $9000 dollars for a replacement??? And that's the price before training? That makes no sense at all! No wonder the departments are all in a budget crisis! Get a good dog from the local shelter...plenty available and waiting!
July 25, 2008 11:00:38 am
Any purebred dog, and these are, is going to be pricey. While it might sound elitist to a layperson's ear, the fact is that any dog from a shelter while perhaps possessing some of the necessary traits are typically a completely unknown quantity as far as many other important aspects. There have been solid drug and bomb sniffers that have come from pounds and shelters, US Customs has had great success. A true schutzhund, which is what a law enforcement dog is trained as, is a whole different story.
These dogs are evaluated and trained by the breeders almost from birth for the correct temperment, play/prey drive and physical characteristics to allow them to be successful. They are more tightly screened than even guide dogs as there is such enormous liability that carries with deployment of a canine. All that evaluation and training, not to mention all the food, vet care, boarding costs borne by the breeder for the first two to three years of the dogs life don't come for free.The initial training requirement for the handler is I believe six weeks in residence, that is an experienced officer often at top wage step going off for six weeks to be paired with the dog and get their initial certifications done. The on going training requirements are extensive.Cotati PD could easily spend a $20K initial investment on a replacement, which like many small to medium sized departments they appear to be fund raising for rather than using appropriated budget funds. But given the known advantages of deploying a well trained canine/handler team and the effectivity multiplier it represents on the street that $20K is, usually, a very sound investment. Considering that my best friend in the business had his life saved by his dog, twice, it makes a very sound investment indeed in my mind.
Once the fund is set up, this prior service LEO will be writing a check. And I don't even live in Cotati.
July 25, 2008 11:29:05 am
This is so sad, I was just lucky enough to see this wonderful dog in the office a few weeksa go. I LOVE police dogs and always was curious about them. Very sad loss, he sounds like a wonderful dog both at work, and not.
July 25, 2008 11:49:36 am
thats so terribly sad to read..my condolences to the officer and his family for losing a best friend
July 25, 2008 12:00:04 pm
Law enforcement dogs are trained before they are obtained by the agency, but still, the dog and its new handler must undergo training together, so that they can become an effective team. Frankly, $8-9K doesn't sound like so much when you take all this into consideration, and I like that they are trying to raise the money by donations, rather than through taxes or general funds. For those who think any dog can do what these dogs do and what service dogs do, volunteer some time with the organizations that train LE and service dogs, and see how they screen dogs (including shelter and other rescue org's dogs) for the right temperament, intelligence, etc. to be LE or service dogs. Just as every human isn't suited to be a cop, not all dogs are suited to be K9s.
July 25, 2008 12:20:06 pm
$8-9k for a K9 is too much?! Are you crazy? Any dog that can find drugs, find missing people and locate suspects is well worth the money. With every open door call, every drug bust and every pursuit, that dog more than pays for itself. Every time that dog scores a bite, instead of an officer shooting someone or getting injured himself, is worth its weight in gold. I had the privilage of riding with D'Jango and his handler and even though it was short, I could tell that D'Jango was a great dog. My heart goes out to Sgt. Kaupa and Cotati PD because they lost a great officer.
July 25, 2008 2:13:19 pm
Wow, thank you all for the information. I admit that I honestly had no idea of all that goes into a good police dog. Now I know...and knowing is half the battle
July 25, 2008 3:34:09 pm
I have been lucky enough to watch these dogs do there amazing work at the local trials and they are worth every penny that a department spends on them. You should check them out sometime, I saw a sign in downtown petaluma that one was coming up in town everyone should go and see what incredible things these dogs do. My thoughts and prayers go out the Cotati PD and the officer and his family.
July 25, 2008 3:46:11 pm
YOU HEAR THAT!!! NO K9 IN COTATI!! thanks Press Democrat!! And Cotati Police, take your time finding a new one. Decisions like this take time.
July 25, 2008 4:16:48 pm
My sympathies go out to everyone who worked with and loved this dog. Whether he was a K-9, or pet, it is never easy losing an animal friend/companion.
Even though I am sure it will make me cry, I'd like to know what his plaque says.
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