The “bane of the bad guy’s existence” — that’s how K9 Bane got his name.
Last week, 10 On Your Side shared that Bane died following a battle with cancer.
Born in the Czech Republic and trained in North Carolina, Bane joined the Newport News Police Department’s K9 unit in 2011.
“He ended up coming home with us after a particularly good apprehension on our master trainer,” said Officer Brittany Keller, Bane’s handler.
From 2011 until June 2017, Keller and Bane spent almost every moment together, working both patrols and narcotics, and becoming more than partners.
“These dogs come home with us at the end of the shift and they really are a family,” Keller said. “Bane was a fantastic tracker. He honestly, the tracks he could do were outright amazing. Your whole goal in taking care of him is that he makes the job safer for you, he makes the job safer for other officers, and he’s going to take care of everyone around him.”
A few weeks ago, Keller noticed Bane was a little off. She took him to the vet, and an X-ray showed cancer.
“He had cancer of the liver, on his spleen, on both kidney and in his lungs,” Keller said. “At that point, they believed it was sarcoma and there was not much that chemotherapy could do for him.”
They tried some medication, but ultimately decided it was time to let Bane go.
“It’s losing a member of your family, it’s losing the best partner you can ever have,” Keller said. “It’s losing something that’s so valuable to the community which you serve. It’s one of the worst feelings.”
It’s not easy to lose a pet or a partner. Now, Keller carries a piece of Bane’s uniform.
“It was special at the time, but to have this with me as a remembrance of his service is indescribable,” said Keller, knowing their bond is forever unbreakable.
Keller says since it is National Police Week, she’s hoping people will think of both two and four-legged officers.