Bee Staff
The Roseville Police Department's K9 unit has announced the death of retired police canine "Zig," who survived a burglary suspect's attempt to drown him. But the dog held onto the suspect until officers arrived.
Zig, affectionately called Ziggy, started his career as a Roseville Police Department canine in 1999, according to a Police Department news release.
He was retired in 2005 due to a leg injury and other medical problems. Zig continued to live with his handler, Roseville Police Officer Chris Nowicki (in photo bottom with Zig), and Nowicki's active-duty police dog Eivo, until Zig's death Monday at age 12 .
Once Roseville K9 units responded in the middle of the night to assist the Placer County Sheriff's Department with an in-progress burglary of a business on Cincinnati Avenue. Nowicki and Zig pursued one of the burglary suspects into a flooded field.
Zig located the suspect, who was totally concealed among reeds, waist-deep in cold water. Zig latched on to the suspect and refused to let go, even when the suspect tried to drown him, the release states. Thanks to Zig, officers located and arrested the suspect.
On another night, Roseville officers pursued a car burglar, who crashed his car in the area of Lead Hill and Harding, and fled on foot into the creek area. It was pitch-dark and officers were unable to see anything in the unlighted open space area.
Zig tracked the suspect and then almost pulled officers over the edge of a ravine, barking ferociously in the direction of a downed tree. Officers shined their flashlights around the area for several minutes, seeing nothing, until eventually they spotted a sock sticking out of a pile of debris. Attached to the sock was their suspect - who was then taken into custody, thanks to Zig.
But Ziggy's health declined until the decision was made to have him euthanized, the release states.
On Monday, Nowicki took Ziggy on a last ride in his police K9 vehicle before taking him to the veterinarian.
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