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Bellingham PD loses bomb search dog to rare injury

Brick also served with the U.S. military in Iraq.

<p>Brick, the Bellingham Police Department bomb-searching dog, passed away earlier this month from a rare injury. Photo: Bellingham Police Department / Facebook</p>

A Bellingham Police Department K-9 passed away earlier this month from an unexpected injury.

Brick, the dog, served the police department since December 2013. He worked and played with Officer Shan Hanon.

"Brick, I would say, was just happy and full of positive energy," Hanon said. "If he didn't have a toy in his mouth, he was searching."

The police department said Brick's injury is one that specialists have only seen twice in 20 years.

A CT scan discovered torsion of Brick's blood vessels in the lower part of his intestines, Hanon said. The twisted vessels blocked blood flow to some of his organs.

In addition to serving the police department, Brick also served in Iraq for the U.S. military as an explosive detection dog. He also helped keep the Alaska Ferry terminal safe, working with the FBI, the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm bureau, and Border Patrol.

"There's so much that most all bomb dogs do to a certain degree," Hanon said. And what he'll miss the most about Brick: "His incessant drive to want to work – so hard."

Hanon said sometimes Brick worked so hard that he had to stop him and give him rest.

"It's humbling," Hanon said, "because a lot of humans aren't this way."

Even though Brick was trained to go into situations where bombs were, Hanon said he always did so with happiness and no hesitation.

"Give your dogs a hug," Hanon said on Facebook. "You never know when it will be the last."

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