It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of retired Police Service Dog (PSD) Endo.
PSD Endo was 14 months old when he joined VicPD in 2006 to start his training. He and his partner Cst. Brian Asmussen patrolled together until Endo’s retirement in January of 2014. Like all our police service dogs, Endo and Cst. Asmussen lived and worked together 24 hours a day. This time spent together closely bonds all K9 teams. Endo remained at home with Cst. Asmussen and his family after retirement.
Endo was instrumental in several key files and his searching ability was well regarded during his service. In 2008, PSD Endo located a well-hidden firearm that had been discarded by a homicide suspect. In 2011, PSD Endo’s searching abilities were again displayed after he located an armed suspect who had broken into a residence and stabbed the homeowner. PSD Endo, along with Cst. Asmussen and Cst. Bingham, located the suspect who was hiding underneath a car, armed with a knife.
VicPD police service dogs are protective of their human partners and in 2012, PSD Endo leapt from a police vehicle to help Cst. Asmussen as he attempted to take a domestic violence suspect into custody. The suspect was taken into custody in short order.
PSD Endo’s tracking ability was life-saving and had a positive impact not just in Victoria and Esquimalt. In 2009, PSD Endo and Cst. Asmussen were called to assist North Saanich RCMP in their search for an elderly man suffering from dementia, who had gone missing in a densely wooded area. One and a half hours after the man had last been seen, PSD Endo successfully tracked him and the man was rescued. Without PSD Endo’s track, it is unlikely the man would have been rescued in time.
PSD Endo will be added the our K9 memorial plaque in our Hall of Honour at 850 Caledonia Avenue. Our Hall of Honour is open to the public every day of the year from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and tells some of the stories of sacrifice and heroism made by VicPD members, K9s, civilians and members of our community in the service of Victoria and Esquimalt.