Former Sacramento County sheriff's K-9 Ronin dies 8 months into retirement

A former Sacramento County Sheriff's Department K-9 died Tuesday morning less than a year after leaving law enforcement for the comforts of life as a family pet.

Ronin, a German shepherd, died while surrounded by his owners at around 8 a.m. Tuesday, the Sheriff's Department announced in an Instagram post.

"K9 Ronin was a pillar of the SSDK9 team and a role model for all the new members," the post read. "He was a great partner and will be dearly missed!"

Ronin retired in September after nine years spent assisting on hundreds of arrests, the Sheriff's Department said. Cash, a 1-year-old German shepherd, took over his patrol assignment in northern Sacramento County in November.

Benjy Egel: (916) 321-1052, @BenjyEgel

This story was originally published May 22, 2018 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Former Sacramento County sheriff's K-9 Ronin dies 8 months into retirement."