Passaic County sheriff’s police dog Leo dead after six years of service
By Jonathan Greene
Published: March 28, 2019
A police dog that sniffed and led to large drug seizures in Passaic County has died, according to Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik.
K9 Leo died on Wednesday.
“Today’s sudden death of K-9 Leo is a huge loss to not only the Passaic County Sherriff’s Office but to all the residents of Passaic County,” Berdnik said. “During his long career with the sheriff’s department, K9 Leo had numerous apprehensions and large drug seizures protecting the residents of Passaic County.”
Leo was in service from 2013 to 2019. Last July, he graduated a second K-9 academy. He also won police dog competitions. He and his partner, detective Sebastiano Biondo, were crowned champions of the 2018 United States Police Canine Association National Detector Dog Trial competition.
Berdnik said since Leo died on duty, an inspector’s funeral is being planned for April 3.