Public event to Honor K9 Cwyk’s service legacy
5 p.m., Wednesday, March 29, Eugene Country Club Tall Firs Room, 255 Country Club Road
K9 Cwyk was a loyal member of Eugene Police Department, and his service years earned him a legacy of great courage and dedication. In honor of CWYK’s service, we would like to invite you to join us in a final farewell to our furry hero:
5 p.m., March 29, Eugene Country Club Tall Firs Room, 255 Country Club Road
The event includes an overview of Cwyk’s work, the K9 team program, a video, and time to mingle. The public is invited and there is plenty of parking on site.
About Cwyk
The Eugene Police Department is heartbroken to announce the death of K9 Cwyk. He died peacefully with his handler and family on February 28. Cwyk was eight years old. Officer Mike Casey and Sergeant Rob Griesel worked extensively to train Cwyk after the department acquired him in 2017. The purchase of Cwyk was possible because of a very generous gift from a private citizen as a replacement for retiring K9 Blek.
Cwyk began training with his handler, Officer Owen Griffith, in October of 2018. They certified as a team that December and hit the streets shortly thereafter. Cwyk and Officer Griffith developed a strong bond immediately. Their trust – along with Cwyk’s excellent tracking ability – led to a number of patrol apprehensions early in their partnership. EPD SWAT soon selected Cwyk for the Tactical K9 team. His ability to work amongst SWAT officers in dangerous environments made him an invaluable tool. He was ever-present at the SWAT office, playing and jumping on tables
and causing general, joyful havoc.
Cwyk’s remarkable nose and tireless drive led to dozens upon dozens of captures in the ensuing years. Nothing deterred him – he once tracked a would-be thief through six inches of snow, and another time helped subdue a barricaded subject in a dangerous, SWAT-related CS-gas environment. His tracking ability became the stuff of police dog legend. One of Cwyk’s last days on patrol featured three apprehensions in 90 minutes. He was one of the most talented and successful K9s in EPD’s history.
Cwyk’s work ethic was matched only by his joy. When he wasn’t on patrol, he loved chasing birds, swimming, and biting his ever-present toy tire. Cwyk often visited briefings, jamming his tire into officer’s legs, demanding they play with him.
Cwyk fell ill after a recent training. Following a multitude of tests, the EPD K9 team and local veterinarians determined it was best to humanely euthanize him. After a full day of playing with family and visiting the SWAT team, Cwyk spent his last moments with a full-mouth grip on his beloved bite pillow, his handler rubbing his ears. We’ll never forget his joyous spirit.
EPD’s K9 Program
The Eugene Police Department has a sergeant and five officers who work with four apprehension dogs and one narcotics detection dog used for tracking people and evidence. These K-9s are generalist or “tracking” dogs. The dogs are used to locate suspects who have run from the scene of a crime, find suspects hiding inside buildings, and search spaces that would be dangerous for a human officer to enter. With their keen senses, these highly trained dogs can swiftly locate hiding suspects and be effective in dark conditions. They can operate where human officers cannot or where officers’ personal safety would be at substantial risk.
Original Article: Source