Fort Collins police mourn unexpected loss of Ivo, a 4-year-old K9 officer

Brooklyn Dance | The Coloradoan

Fort Collins Police Services is mourning the death of K9 officer Ivo, who died Tuesday.

Ivo, who joined the agency in December 2017 as a dual-purpose K9 trained in patrol work and narcotics detection, was a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois from Holland. He became ill and underwent surgery on Tuesday, during which veterinarians discovered rapidly developing and widely spread cancer.

He died peacefully during surgery, according to a news release.

On Wednesday, the Fort Collins police K9 Unit and motorcade escorted Ivo from the Colorado State University Flint Animal Cancer Center. He was honored by Fort Collins Police Services, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado State University Police, Longmont Police, UCHealth EMS staff, Poudre Fire Authority, Colorado State University Veterinary Hospital staff, and city of Fort Collins leadership, the release said.

We're extremely sad to share that FCPS K9 Ivo has passed away following a very brief illness. More info: https://t.co/YBo4tnXVAl pic.twitter.com/NR6tpygz7Q — Fort Collins Police (@FCPolice) November 13, 2019

“The bond between a handler and K9 is significant,” said Sgt. Sean Giddings, who leads the FCPS K9 Unit. “This morning's display of support from our first responder partners and CSU veterinary staff was a fitting tribute to an unforgettable dog. Though his life was short, he served our community with distinction.”

When not working, Ivo lived at home with his handler and family.

Brooklyn Dance is a breaking news reporter. Contact her at bdance@coloradoan.com or on Twitter @hibrookIyn.