Rombo, one of the 's K-9s, died at 12:10 p.m. Wednesday of an "apparent heart attack," the department said on its Facebook page.
"He was the best natured dog I have ever had the pleasure to know and work and he will be sorely missed," Officer Gregg Tawney, Rombo's handler, wrote.
The dog was born in the Netherlands, and earned honors while training with the Dutch police, Tawney wrote. Rombo has worked in Elk Grove for six years, and has found several suspects, won awards and placed in the top three in a K-9 competition with 50 dogs.
"In addition, Rombo, a favorite among kids, had completed 100s of demos which usually ended with all the kids petting him and laughing at his silly dog tricks," Tawney wrote.
Rombo would have turned 9 years old next month.
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