Bibb police mourn death of K-9 officer
BIBB COUNTY, Ga. - The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of a beloved member of their team, K-9 Beko.
Beko, a Dutch Shepherd, passed away while hospitalized at the vet’s office on Sunday after getting sick just days beforehand. He died of renal failure which was caused by leptospirosis.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can affect both animals and humans. It spreads through the urine of infected animals. As a precaution, the sheriff’s office said the rest of its K-9 officers are being vaccinated for leptospirosis and the area where Beko lived has been sterilized.
Deputies aren’t sure how Beko came in contact with the bacteria.
Beko worked for the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office for more than three years and was assigned to Deputy Keith Mercer until his recent resignation. He was living with another handler, Deputy Kevin Irwin, while waiting to be reassigned.
“Beko had a very successful and meaningful career and will be sorely missed by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office family. Beko was 6 years of age at the time of his passing,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release Tuesday.