He led his handlers to dangerous narcotics and helped capture felons. And when he wasn’t fighting crime, Rico represented the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office had hundreds of presentations before his retirement.
On Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office announced Rico’s death from cancer. He was 11 years old.
“Rico gave his heart and soul to this agency and this community,” Cpl. Darin Downey said in an emailed statement. “He enjoyed all the school visits and the little hands that touched him and told him ‘good boy.’”
Rico, a Belgian Malinois, was assigned to Downey from Aug. 2005 until Nov. 2012, when the four-legged deputy retired. After his retirement, Rico developed cancer, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He lived with Downey and his family until his death.
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