Rest in peace: Cocoa Police K9 Cairo passed away on Wednesday

COCOA, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - A K9 with the Cocoa Police Department passed away this week.

Police said that K9 Cairo passed away on Wednesday. He was a 12-year-old Belgian Malinois. He passed away from natural causes.

They said that K9 Cairo joined the Cocoa Police Department in 2011. He served as a state certified patrol dog and a member of the department's SWAT team. Due to a hip injury, Cairo retired from the SWAT team in 2017. Due to his high drive and motivation, Cairo then became a police dog.

During his career, Cairo reportedly made the Cocoa Police Department countless arrests, building searches, tracks, and high risks warrants.

"Cairo was a great SWAT dog and was the perfect partner for Brian,” said Lt. Tony Marchica who oversees the department’s K9 Unit. “He hit hard and had a lot of drive to work. He served the city well.”

K9 Cairo stayed with Officer Delos Santos after retirement and became the family's beloved pet.

This story was written in Orlando, Florida.