BENTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — A Benton County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) K-9 belonging to Detective Ralph Bartley died on July 12. Kilo was 12 years old.
"Until we meet again, Kilo, I will always love you," Bartley said. "Rest easy, we have the watch from here."
Kilo and Bartley were partners for seven years. The sheriff's office remembers Kilo as an "exceptional deputy."
"He had my back, and I had his," Bartley said. "I couldn't have asked for a better partner or best friend."
The two met in March 2013 in Huntsville, Alabama. Kilo was the puppy of his K-9 school class. He earned the name "Squirrel" because he could become easily distracted.
"We graduated and hit the streets together, learning how to be cops," Bartley said. "From FTO to sergeant, Kilo was my most senior deputy by at least 3 to 4 years."
In his career, Kilo became a well-decorated K-9. According to Bartley, he had the most physical apprehensions of all the dogs at the sheriff's office. Bartley said he even received an award from the Department of Justice for his part in a federal operation.
"He loved playing hide and seek and excelled at it," Bartley said. "If Kilo was on the ground, there was a good chance the suspect would be found."
Despite Kilo's ability to be an aggressive deputy, he was loved by many for his sweet nature.
"He could be biting a bad guy one minute and letting a kid pet him the next," Bartley said. "We did countless K9 demos, and Kilo loved the kids, and they loved him."
Bartley said Kilo eventually retired, but not without a fight.
"When Kilo retired, he didn't accept it at first," he said. "There was the trash can emptied all over my apartment and the entire batch of brownies he ate."
Kilo eventually settled in with Bartley's other pets at home and enjoyed the rest of his retirement.
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