Memorial Service to Honor Police Dog

An informal memorial service is scheduled for Tuesday to honor Pascha, the 6-year-old police dog used by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

The ceremony for the highly trained German shepherd is set to begin at 2 p.m. at the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department canine training field at the west end of Camarillo Airport, near the department’s firing range, a Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman said.

The public is invited to the ceremony, which will recount Pascha’s accomplishments over the years.

The department is trying to find a dog in Germany to replace Pascha, who died of intestinal blockage in early February.

A newly trained dog can cost anywhere from $9,000 to $12,000, officials said. All four of the dogs used by the department have been purchased through donations.

Anyone interested in making a donation to the Sheriff’s Department’s K-9 Trust for the purchase of a new dog and to sustain the canine program, can drop a check off at any sheriff’s station or send one to the Sheriff’s K-9 Program, c/o Capt. Haskell Chandler, 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura, CA 93009.