Crime & Safety
Beloved Enfield Police Dog Passes Away
The German shepherd served the Enfield Police Department for more than five years.
ENFIELD, CT — A recently-retired police canine who served as a key member of the Enfield Police Department for more than five years has passed away.
Officer Bruin, a German shepherd who joined the department with handler Officer Chris Dufresne in 2012, was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy in 2017, which caused an early retirement.
As a team, Dufresne and Bruin were responsible for locating countless missing people, criminals, narcotics and pieces of evidence. They placed in the top five canine teams regionally in the U.S. Police Canine Association, and competed nationally as one of the top 50 canine teams throughout the country.
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A statement on the department's Facebook page reads, "K9 Bruin Rest In Peace. Know that K9 Kodi, K9 Putnam and K9 Nova will continue the legacy that you and K9 Niko have left behind here at the Enfield Police Department K9 Unit."
Photo courtesy of Enfield Police Department
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