K-9 handler remembers loyal partner
Memorial service commemorates Rony’s legacy
Houston senior police officer Dennis Shadden holds a flag presented to him during the funeral services for his K-9 partner Rony.
Instead of the muted crying that’s often heard at a memorial service, the parking lot of Houston Police Officers Union building on Wednesday was a raucous place, as more than 25 police dogs panted, whined and barked in the March sun.
One of their colleagues, a K-9 police dog by the name of Rony, had died two weeks before. And whether these four-legged law enforcers knew it or not, Rony was receiving a hero’s goodbye from their human handlers.
Rony made 250 captures over his seven-year career with the Houston Police Department, a number far surpassing his peers, the chief has said. The Belgian Malinois made his last capture the morning he was euthanized, Feb. 21, after sustaining a severe injury in a midnight chase with an auto theft suspect.
“We’ll never know how many lives have been saved as a result of Rony,” said Capt. Larry Baimbridge, head of HPD’s Tactical Operations Division. “I have no doubt so much evil was put aside by his work.”
The memorial on Wednesday was in many ways similar to the honors brought to a fallen police officer. There was a row of uniformed police officers, a helicopter flyover, an honor guards and the traditional taps on a bugle. It was the first ceremony of its kind in Houston Police Department history, Baimbridge confirmed. The last time a Houston police dog died in the line of duty was 20 years ago, and the most recent injury to a K-9 was about eight years ago, a department spokesman said.
Rony’s death in the line of duty called for a special celebration of life, and special recognition for Rony and his handler, Houston police officials said.
The average K-9 patrol dog captures 24 people per year. Not counting the times Rony was injured and not active, he made almost 50 captures a year — double what most other dogs make.
Rony was also a fixture in his handler’s life — and in his family’s home — for years. Senior Officer Dennis Shadden said when he got Rony, he figured he wouldn’t get so attached.
Inside the union building, a slideshow highlighting Rony’s life exhibited dozens of photos of the dog, illustrating that Shadden’s initial thought wasn’t the case. Pictures showed Rony in the pool, Rony at the Super Bowl, Rony at the World Series. Rony with kids, near a Christmas tree, in front of the Houston skyline.
“I never thought I would feel this way over an animal, but the loyalty that Rony had to me and his drive to do the job changed the way I thought,” Shadden said. “I’ll never be able to get past that.”
The decision to euthanize Rony didn’t come lightly, police said, and it was criticized by many in the public who wondered why he couldn’t have lived out the remainder of his life as a retiree, with three legs.
Rony’s last capture began when police started pursuing a stolen vehicle Feb. 21. The driver fled on foot, and Rony bounded after the suspect in a heavily wooded area. His front right leg became entangled beneath a tree trunk, and veterinarians, Shadden and police leaders made the decision to euthanize him.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo combated the criticism, explaining that Rony’s quality of life would have been severely impaired after the injury.
“For the idiots out there that are criticizing the decision that we made, the decision was made out of a four letter word,” Acevedo said. “It’s a good four letter word — ‘Love.’ ”
Veterinarian Laura Ron, who euthanized the K-9 at Vergi Animal Emergency Hospital, said that Rony’s injury would have put pressure on the three remaining legs, which were already weak from previous injuries and arthritis. On top of that, Rony lived to be a police dog and wouldn’t have been happy otherwise, she said.
Acevedo said he believes Rony is in a better place now.
“Rony is where he belongs, running free without the pain of all the cumulative injuries that he suffered on earth,” Acevedo said.
Back outside the police union building, Rony’s memorial service reached an end, containing parts of the traditional funeral ceremony for fallen police officers.
The K-9s formed a long line beside their handlers, called a “Wall of Honor.” Chief Art Acevedo gave Shadden a folded American flag.
Two officers played “Taps,” the salute to the fallen, and three HPD helicopters roared above.
The Shadden family walked behind the Honor Guard and left, following a line of motorcycles escorting them to the Houston Officer Memorial at Buffalo Bayou Park.
The ceremony ended, and the 25-plus K-9 handlers stood at ease with their dogs, who were still panting away in the sun.