Sheriff's office says goodbye to dog
Feb. 28—RANDOLPH COUNTY — A Randolph County Sheriff's Office dog had to be put down Tuesday because of aggressive tumors that would have been difficult to successfully treat, the sheriff's office said.
Tuesday morning, the dog, Ziva, and her handler were met by the Randolph County Sheriff's Honor Guard and other members of the sheriff's office who wished to say goodbye. A ceremony was held to celebrate her life and work, and then she and her handler were escorted to her veterinarian.
Ziva had been diagnosed with infiltrative lipoma the first week in February following tests on visible masses that had recently developed. The tumors were non-cancerous but aggressive and already attaching themselves to fatty tissue and bone, the sheriff's office said.
Not only surgery but slow and methodical radiation and chemotherapy would have been needed, leading to myriad complications and setbacks for Ziva with a low chance of full success, the sheriff's office said.
Ziva was trained in narcotics detection, article searches, tracking and apprehension. She graduated from High Point Canine Solutions LLC and became a member of the sheriff's office in November 2020.
Among Ziva's accomplishments was a case in which Ziva detected 22 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of $480,000, and she was the top-tracking K9 in the Randolph County Sheriff's Office canine unit for the year 2022.
