Kye, Medina’s retired K9, passes away from cancer
Photos by Tom Rivers: Medina Lt. Todd Draper and Kye, the department’s K9 for 9 years, walk down the driveway at Oak Orchard Elementary School during a retirement sendoff for Kye on Oct. 28, 2020. Kye was a frequent visitor at the school.
MEDINA – The Medina Police Department’s popular K9, Kye, has passed away after a battle with bone cancer.
The Medina PD announced Kye’s death on Sunday.
“Kye put up a very strong fight over the last few months against bone cancer,” the Medina PD stated on its Facebook page. “Kye was an 11 year old Belgian Malinois that served the Medina PD from 2012-2021.”
Lt. Todd Draper served as Kye’s handler. After the dog retired about a year ago it continued to stay with Draper’s family.
Draper made special cards and stuffed animals of Kye when the dog first joined the department about a decade ago.
Kye’s main duties were tracking, drug detection, building searches and criminal apprehension. Kye and Draper attended many public events and visited local schools, doing many demonstrations for the community.
Kye has been succeeded at the Medina PD by a K9 named Phoenix, and the handler is Medina police officer Jacob Reeves.
