Fallen police dog will be honored

Keith Paul

Friday, April 5, 2002 | 9:44 a.m.

The first Metro Police dog that died in the line of duty will be buried Monday alongside other K-9 veterans in a service with the department's honor guard.

Police Service Dog Rudi was crippled on March 28 when the police car he was riding in while heading to a call was struck by another car. Rudi, a 2 1/ 2-year-old Belgian Malinois who started his duty in September, was euthanized Monday.

"When we lose a dog, it's pretty devastating. It hurts," said Sgt. Todd Fasulo of Metro's K-9 unit. "We're talking about a dog that is trained to protect his handler. The dog rides with the officer all day and lives at the officer's home."

Officer John Jenkins was driving on Nellis Boulevard with the police car's lights and sirens on, going to investigate a call about a man with a gun. Another K-9 officer and dog were at the scene, but Jenkins and his two dogs were called to assist in tracking down the suspect.

As Jenkins drove into the intersection of Nellis Boulevard and Stewart Avenue, a car driven by James Herrin struck the right side of Jenkins' police car, according to an accident report.

Herrin was cited for failure to use due care upon approaching an intersection and failure to yield right of way to an emergency vehicle. Police are waiting on the results of blood tests, the report states.

Jenkins was injured and taken to University Medical Center. Fasulo went to the accident scene and saw Rudi.

"I went to pull him out of the car, he stood up and instantly went right back down," he said. "We thought it was a broken leg."

But a veterinarian that night determined Rudi had a dislocated hip and a fractured hip. It wasn't until the next day that more extensive X-rays determined that Rudi's back was broken.

A veterinarian waited to see if the swelling would go down and Rudi's paralysis would subside, but when it was determined that Rudi was permanently paralyzed, the decision was made to put him to sleep, Fasulo said.

"We knew Saturday, but the officer was still recovering and we wanted to wait until after Easter," Fasulo said.

Jenkins was still recovering from his injuries Thursday and was not available for comment. The other dog was not injured in the accident.

Metro's K-9 unit has 26 dogs consisting of patrol, bomb-detection and drug-detection dogs. The dogs can cost up to $5,000 each and including training, the cost can total $15,000 to $20,000. Rudi was a patrol dog.

The dogs are more than just tools to the officers who handle them. Fasulo said they really become part of the officer's family.

"The officers are with the dogs more than their families," he said. "Rudi was a good dog. He was an up and coming dog."

The service for Rudi will be Monday at 3 p.m. at the Craig Road Pet Cemetery, on Craig Road near Tenaya Way in northwest Las Vegas.