Vernon Police Dog Tengo Dies At 9 Shortly After Retirement

VERNON, CT — Decorated Vernon police dog Tengo, who retired from the force last month, died Sunday at the age of 9.

Town officials announced his passing Tuesday. Tengo and Handler Jeffrey Condon were together for seven years.

Tengo underwent several medical procedures over the past several months that included cancer treatment, an intestinal blockage and a surgery that left a several-inch scar on his back.

In all, Tengo had about 250 deployments in his career. He served in capacities that included patrol, narcotics and detection.

He made an immediate impact on the job. Just three months after being certified, Tengo was dispatched to a burglary at Scranton Motors, during which an armed suspect quickly gave up.

Another case that stands out took place in December 2017 in the northeast part of town. Condon and Tengo tracked a suspect in a robbery and pistol-whipping incident at the Lafayette area Shell gas station for more than 2 miles into Tolland and forced him into the open, where the man was taken into custody. Condon said after a short rest, Tengo went into a wooded area, where he not only recovered the gun used in the caper, but a stash of drugs the suspect tried to hide under a pile of leaves and dirt.

In October 2017, Tengo located physical evidence that led to a DNA identification and subsequent 13-year prison sentence in a sexual assault case.

In 2018, Tengo recovered a knife that had been tossed into a nearby yard during a brawl that led to a stabbing.

In 2017, Tengo sniffed out a drug stash at a traffic stop that led to the seizure of 20 grams of crack, 28 grams of marijuana, a large amount of cash and packaging materials. The dealer wound up with a three-year prison sentence.

"He had a stellar career and we were all safer because of him," Vernon police chief John Kelley said at Tengo's retirement ceremony.