18/03/2024
It is with a grieving and heavy heart that we inform you that K9 Kilo’s watch unexpectedly ended on March 10th, 2024.
K9 Kilo SABPD 7163 (German Shepherd) was born in Slovakia on April 21st, 2014, and selected for importation to America in 2015. He was hand-picked as St Augustine Beach Police Department’s very first K9 and certified by The National Narcotic Detector Dog Association with his human partner, Corporal Bruce Cline, on December 22nd, 2016. K9 Kilo served our community with the St. Augustine Beach Police Department as a narcotics detection, tracking, article searching, furry goodwill ambassador for 8 years. During this time, his hard work got dangerous drugs off the streets, put a ra**st in prison, and most importantly brought our citizens closer to the Officers who serve them. But he didn’t stop there, during their time off Kilo and Cpl. Cline were instrumental in bringing tens of thousands of dollars in food and supplies to local animal shelters. Thanks to their efforts, K9 Kilo’s Presents for Pets was an unfathomable success.
Kilo was almost 10 years old on March 10th, when he was taken to St. Augustine Regional Veterinary Emergency Center because he started behaving abnormally. Emergency surgery was performed without delay, but the prognosis was something no one’s ever prepared to hear. It was cancer and despite the extraordinary efforts performed by the medical professionals, he succumbed to the disease.
K9 Kilo impacted our community and touched countless hearts in our Department, St. Johns County, and throughout North East Florida. He will be sorely missed by the St. Augustine Beach Police and the entire St. Augustine Beach community.
A memorial service will be held at Anastasia Baptist Church for his family and law enforcement friends on Monday, March 18th at 10:00 am. We ask for you to keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. If you have any fond memories, stories, or pictures with our beloved Kilo, please feel free to share them here so everyone can see how truly special he was.
