PORT ANGELES — Jag, a police dog, was euthanized Wednesday after he was diagnosed with inoperable cancer.
The 10-year-old Belgian Malinois — who was also a family member of his handler, Cpl. Kevin Miller — was diagnosed a few days after participating in an annual tactical training camp, Police Chief Terry Gallagher said Thursday.
“His performance, as usual, had been stellar,” Gallagher said.
Officers are mourning the loss of the dog, said Gallagher and other department personnel.
“In the police world, the only parallel is losing an officer, but particularly with a canine officer, they bond in a way that it’s hard for some people to understand,” he said.
Gallagher said he did not know if the department would obtain another police dog, known as a K-9.
No service is planned.
Jag joined the department in 2008 and had sniffed out more than 100 felony suspects who were hiding from authorities, said Miller, a master dog trainer.
“Throughout his entire career, we were a master handler team, the highest level you can test for in our state,” he said.
The partners also were the top advanced-handler dog team in 2011 at the Spokane Advanced Handlers School.
But Jag, who hailed from a breed that guards the White House grounds, was more than a K-9.
He also lived in Sequim with Miller; his wife, Kelly; and their 13- and 15-year-old boys and 10-year-old daughter.
“He is integrated into our family, at the Christmas tree opening presents,” Miller said Thursday.
“My daughter was very close to Jag, and so the past 24 hours have been somewhat challenging.
“Everyone stays really busy.”
Jag was wounded soon after he joined the force, cutting his mouth in May 2009 as he leaped over a barbed-wire fence chasing a suspect.
That was a rare occurrence.
“Bad things can happen, but we’ve been fortunate his injuries have been minimal throughout his career,” Miller said.
Miller, 49, who has worked with police dogs since he was 17, instructed last weekend at the tactical training school and had planned to team up with his partner.
“I usually bring [Jag] out, but I didn’t,” Miller recalled.
“He obviously wasn’t feeling himself.”
Miller also was the handler of K-9 Arco, who died in 2007 of a stroke and was succeeded by Jag.
The department’s remaining K-9, Bogey, works with Officer Lucas DeGand.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.