K9 Brutus

Died – 7/18/18
Handler – Sgt. Danny Ramirez

Former Oak Brook police dog, Brutus, dies at 14 years old

The Oak Brook Police Department lost a former worker and friend Wednesday when Brutus, a police dog who worked for the department from 2006 to 2012, died. The 14-year-old Brutus was the second patrol canine with which Sgt. Danny Ramirez worked as the handler. When Brutus was retired, Ramirez’s family bought him from the village, which is customary, and he became a family pet. “He was confused at first; he was always used to working,” Ramirez said Thursday. “Eventually, he became a dog, but it was a big adjustment for him.” Ramirez said he formed a strong bond with Brutus over the years. “Everyone who owns a pet has a bond with their pet, but what makes this different is the amount of time you spend together,” Ramirez said. The veteran officer said Brutus was an outstanding police dog. “His drive was to be always working; he loved it,” Ramirez said. “He never gave up, whether it was to find drugs or to track.” Ramirez said one of his favorite memories with Brutus came early on in their partnership. “In one of the first tracks we did, a witness said the suspect went one way, and he kept pulling me the other way,” Ramirez said. “There’s an old saying that you should always trust your dog, and it turned out he knew. The guy was right behind me, hiding, in the other direction from what the witness said."

Source: k9memorialcards