COTATI $200 contributed in D'Jango's honor

Dog lovers have honored deceased Cotati police K-9 dog D'Jango with more than $200 in donations toward the department's purchase of a new dog.

That's far from the more than $9,000 needed for a purebred police dog, but a start in a fund-raising effort that began Thursday.

D'Jango, the department's only police dog, died suddenly Tuesday of respiratory distress. He was 7.

D'Jango was a trained narcotics dog and also proficient in suspect detection, property searches, tracking, building searches and handler protection.

A memorial to D'Jango in the department's lobby has prompted an outpouring of public support of flowers and money, Cotati Police Chief Robert Stewart said.

-- Laura Norton