Careers & Education

OK Firefighters Mourn Loss of Rescue Dog

May 30, 2019

Cali, who joined the Oklahoma City Fire Department as a search and rescue K-9 in 2016, died from heart failure because of bacterial lesions that attached to her aortic valve.

Source The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City

Cali and her Oklahoma City, OK, Fire Department handler, Lt. Mark Edwards.

Oklahoma City firefighters are mourning the loss of a search and rescue dog who died Tuesday.

“It's with a heavy heart that we report the passing of Cali, one of our search and rescue K-9 members,” officials wrote Wednesday.

Cali was born Sept. 27, 2014, and raised by her handler, Lt. Mark Edwards. Cali and Edwards became a team following a passing of a leash ceremony on Nov. 3, 2016. The dog and Edwards traveled across the country for training, and she was complimented on her natural ability and incredible drive, officials said.

"After recently becoming ill, she was diagnosed with heart failure due to bacterial lesions which attached to her aortic valve," officials said.

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