St. Louis County police are mourning the loss of two police dogs that died from non-duty-related illnesses Tuesday, police said.
One of the dogs, Lass, retired in October, and died from cancer. The other dog, Zar, was still on the force, but was euthanized after a sudden medical emergency, according to police.
The St. Louis County Police Association posted news of the dogs’ passing on its Facebook page Tuesday.
The police union also posted a link to a Fenton-based nonprofit called P.A.W. Stoppers Inc., which is raising money online to help the St. Louis County Police Department’s Canine Unit build a bronze dog memorial to display the names of past, current and future retired police dogs. It will also serve as a place to host memorial services to honor police dogs, according to the organization’s website. The effort has so far raised about $3,700 toward a $10,000 goal.
The group hopes to complete the project by the fall, according to the website, but it’s unclear where the memorial will be built.
According to the St. Louis County police website, the department’s Canine Unit includes one sergeant and six police officers.
