Arlington PD mourns loss of K-9 Dasty

Arlington Police are remembering a K-9 who passed away on Sunday from cancer.

Dasty was a 12-year-old German Shepherd and had been with the Arlington Police Department his entire career.

"Dasty was just as comfortable rolling over for middle school students as he was chasing down a suspect or locating an illegal firearm at a crime scene," Chief Frederick Ryan said.

He spent a lot of time in Arlington schools, doing demonstration and interacting with students. He even appeared on Animal Planet twice.

"Dasty was more than just a K-9, he was my partner, and he was a terrific one at that," said Officer Michael Hogan.

During his career, Dasty responded to more than 600 calls, helped with more than 40 felony arrests and was involved in 117 narcotic and evidence seizures, according to the Arlington PD.

Some of the most notable moments of his career included finding a gun used in a shooting near Thorndike Field in 2015 and tracking and apprehending a burglary suspect from Beverly Road to Mystic Valley Parkway. He also was assigned to Presidential Security Detail during President Barack Obama's visit following the Boston Marathon Bombings.

Dasty also helped the DEA, helping seize $48,000 in drug money in 2016.

The department said they are working on a tribute for Dasty.

Cox Media Group