Wednesday morning Corporal Brock Gruner received a call that his former partner, K9 Riki had passed away unexpectedly.
Gruner said he and Riki worked together four years before the dog retired and Gruner adopted him into his family.
“Having gotten the opportunity to see him work and then just getting to see him relax in the backyard chewing bones and playing with toys was an extremely rewarding last seven months,” Gruner said.
Gruner said Riki was trained to sniff out both narcotics, and suspects on the run. And with every call, he said he knew the risk they were both taking.
“As much as I loved him and we built such a good relationship with one another,” Gruner said. “It’s always in the back of your mind that I may go to a call one night and unfortunately he might not come back.”
Gruner said they had a special bond, and it is hard to think of working with any other dog besides Riki.
“No matter what, I knew if we got into a bad situation on the streets, I had no doubt in my mind if I got him out, he was going to do his best and go 100 percent,” Gruner said.
Gruner said there has been an outpouring of love from both the Lubbock Police Department, and people in town, who are thankful for his years of service and dedication to keeping the city safe.
“No matter what, at any call that I go on, I’ve always got a backup officer who is going to do whatever he has to do to make sure that I get to go home safely that night,” Gruner said. “And not only me, but any other officers or citizens that might be in harms way get to go home safety.”
