Hundreds gather to watch K-9 officers show off their skills; K-9 Duco retires from service

Written by Jeff Richards
August 11, 2021

CEDAR CITY — Hundreds of people gathered at Cedar City’s Main Street Park on Monday evening to watch trained K-9 officers demonstrate their skills.

Duco leaps from hovering helicopter during “Police Dogs and Hot Dogs in the Park” event, Cedar City, Utah, Aug. 9, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The two-hour event, called “Police Dogs and Hot Dogs in the Park,” featured a series of mock scenarios wherein the K-9 officers took turns subduing a “suspect,” who was actually a police officer outfitted with a heavily padded bite suit.

In the first demonstration, K-9 Duco jumped out of an SUU Aviation helicopter hovering just above the ground and darted across the grass before taking down the suspect.

The final scenario involved a SWAT team of several officers blowing open a door with an explosive charge, after which the deployed K-9 quickly ran into the space behind the door and effectively neutralized the threat by getting the suspect to surrender. 

The event marked Duco’s last shift on active duty, as he’s retiring after seven years on the force, said Cedar City Police Sgt. Clint Pollock, who was Duco’s first handler. 

L-R: Cedar City Police Sgt. Clint Pollock, Cpl. Bryan Moore and Chief Darin Adams present K-9 officer Duco with commendation award during City Council meeting, Cedar City, Utah, Aug. 4, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Duco, a Belgian Malinois who was also instrumental in several drug busts over the years, received a commendation from Police Chief Darin Adams during last week’s Cedar City Council meeting. Now that he’s retired, Duco will become the pet dog of Cpl. Bryan Moore, his partner of the past few years. 

Although it’s not uncommon for human law enforcement officers to spend 20 years or more on the job, the careers of their canine counterparts are typically limited to five to seven years.

Another K-9, Bolos, partner of Cpl. Shawn Peterson, retired last year from the Iron County Sheriff’s Office. And Carlo, the chocolate Labrador who works with Division of Wildlife Resources officer Josh Carver, will likely be retiring in the near future. 

Bruce Hughes of Friends of Iron County Police K9s, said one of the organization’s main goals is to make sure that local police K-9 officers are taken care of post-retirement, when their sponsoring law enforcement agencies are no longer footing the bill for their meals and medical expenses.

Duco subdues a suspect during “Police Dogs and Hot Dogs in the Park” event, Cedar City, Utah, Aug. 9, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

“We provide food and vet service for retired dogs so they can have an honorable retirement, the same as our officers,” Hughes told Cedar City News. “This also includes burial service.”

Hughes said the nonprofit organization also helps pay for additional training for active dogs and their handlers, along with equipment and supplies, including bulletproof vests.

For more information about Friends of Iron County Police K9s, visit the organization’s Facebook page.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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