Funeral for slain police dog to be held Thursday

Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2003 | 8:45 a.m.

c/o LVMPD K-9 4860 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89119.

Friends for Las Vegas Metro K-9, 141 Triberg Court Henderson, NV 89074

When a Metro Police officer loses his dog, a constant companion, it is like losing a member of the family.

For the Metro officer whose muzzled dog, Buddy, was found shot to death in a stolen sport utility vehicle, the experience has been devastating, said Officer Mike Horn, Metro's handler and trainer of the K-9 Corps for 18 years.

"We spend more time with those dogs than any other human being, more than with our wives, girlfriends, mothers or fathers," Horn said Monday.

"You always have a buddy, you have a friend for life," Horn said of the bond that officers develop with their canine partners. "Basically, you are married to those dogs more than any other human being."

Buddy was killed by 23-year-old Daniel Nunez early Friday, police said. Nunez carjacked four vehicles, including a tribal police officer's, before he stole a Metro K-9 car, police said.

Authorities said Nunez, of Las Vegas, killed himself shortly thereafter, about 2 a.m. Friday. Metro Police said he shot himself while being chased by patrol cars along U.S. 95.

The SUV crashed into the center median near the Jones Boulevard exit.

"The dog was in a muzzle and not trained yet," Horn said. "Even though he was brand new and just beginning his career, he was taken by the guy who shot him."

It is rare when a police dog dies in the line of duty.

For that reason, funeral services for Buddy are scheduled at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Craig Road Pet Cemetery near Tenaya Way in northwest Las Vegas, Horn said.

Other Metro service dogs killed in the line of duty are buried there.

Metro's K-9 officers and staff from the Siegfried & Roy show at The Mirage are expected to attend the service, featuring a color guard, a 21-gun salute and taps. The service is open to the public.

Officers will talk about the dog, but they aren't likely to refer to the animal that way, Horn said.

"We don't refer to them as dogs, we refer to them as partners," Horn explained.

Metro's K-9 unit has 25 dogs that patrol, sniff for explosives and detect drugs. The dogs can cost up to $5,000 each and including training, expenses can total $15,000 to $20,000 per dog.

Police dogs remain actively working for three to 10 years, Horn said. After that they retire because of the physical stress of the job.

Friday's fatal shooting of a Metro Police dog was the second time that a Metro dog has been killed in the line of duty. A third was accidentally killed by the officer who was taking care of it.

To protect Metro's police dogs from gunfire in the future, the Kirshbaum Foundation and Sahara hotel owner Lynn Bennett are donating $17,000 for purchasing bullet-proof vests for the K-9 partners.

The money will provide custom fitted vests for each dog. The animal's vest is typically worn at the same time officers put on their protective gear during high-risk operations.