WACO, Texas (KXXV) — WATCH HERE:
Waco ISD Police Sergeant Larry Martinez said goodbye to his retired K-9 partner, Dalton, last week. Dalton served on the force from 2019 to 2024 and passed away at the age of 11.
"He really was a good dog, and he did good things for the community," Martinez said.
Throughout his career, Dalton answered more than 800 calls and gave more than 50 K-9 demonstrations. He helped catch dangerous criminals, find two missing seniors and a missing child, and helped seize 70-plus pounds of illegal narcotics, weapons, and more than $20,000 in drug money.
"We knew his time was coming, and I think so did he," Martinez said.
But Martinez says Dalton's legacy goes far beyond the numbers.
"He had an infectious personality. Besides him honestly just being a pet, he was also my partner. We went to work every day together. He came home with me. I always joke about it — we spend more time with our K-9's than we do with our own families. It's a really tough thing when you don't have that anymore," Martinez said.
Martinez says Dalton touched the lives of countless students and staff members.
"Some of them really bonded with him. I think that's what I enjoyed the most with him, is just being able to take him around all the campuses, let him interact with all the students whether they're in kindergarten all the way up to a senior in high school," Martinez said.
The department welcomed a new K-9 named Greenbow to the force back in June.
"We're getting him acclimated to the school. Going around to different schools trying to get everybody else used to him," Martinez said.
Martinez says Dalton's memory will never fade.
"I want people to remember how his personality was, how his demeanor was, how he loved being around everybody and just the impact that he made on the community," Martinez said.
Waco ISD Police say they hope Dalton's paw prints will remain on the hearts of everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
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