The Eupora Police Department expressed its condolences to K9 Ava and her handler, Officer Casey Henderson, following Ava’s death on Jan. 2.
“She was loved by everyone at EPD and will be missed,” the department stated.
Ava, who was 10, died after battling health issues for the past few months. She served the citizens of Webster County as K9 since 2011, during which time she was a part of the Webster County Sheriff’s Department and recently with the EPD.
Henderson said she was responsible for many drug arrest and thousands of dollars of drug money being seized throughout her career.
“I purchased Ava at 5 months old to train her and asked her to do these things, and she did it lovingly every single time we went out on patrol,” he wrote in a social media post.
“Ava loved kids and visiting the schools and daycares,” Henderson added. “Mostly she loved my family and I will be forever grateful for her being a part of our lives and touching us the way she did.”
Henderson thanked Dr. Joe Duncan and his staff at Duncan Veterinary Clinic for loving her and always taking care of her. He also said thank you to the Mississippi State University Vet School “for being so kind and to my Dad, who always took extra good care of her as well.”
