A Columbia County Sheriff’s Office K-9 has died after the sheriff’s office said he suffered a “heat-related injury.”
K-9 Drago and his handler were taking part in a training exercise on Tuesday when the injury happened, CCSO said.
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Drago was taken to the Addison Animal Hospital in Lake City and as of Tuesday night, he was expected to make a full recovery.
He was released from the hospital to go home with his handler, CCSO said.
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Drago’s handler checked on him throughout the night and found that he had passed away.
“It really hurts to lose a member of the CCSO family. Drago was one of our most senior Canine Deputies and his loss will be felt within our K9 program and our CCSO family,” Sheriff Mark Hunter said in a news release.
Drago had been with CCSO since 2017.
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