In this March 20, 2013, file photo, Chehalis Police Department Officer Warren Ayers gives Reign a little positive reinforcement after a training session.
Chehalis K9 Reign searches for contraband in the grass during a police dog training session at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds in this Chronicle file photo.
Reign notifies Chehalis Police Department Officer Warren Ayers that he found an object planted in the tall grass during a training session at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds in this Chronicle file photo.
In this March 20, 2013, file photo, Chehalis K-9 Reign barks while trying to get to his toy. Chehalis Police Department officer Warren Ayers, the dog's handler, looks on during a training session at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds.
Chehalis Police Department K9 Reign died Tuesday night after suffering a sudden and unexplained medical event, according to the Chehalis Police Department.
Reign, a Belgian Malinois that was about 5 years old, had been on active duty with the Chehalis Police Department since May 2013. His handler is Officer Warren Ayers.
“Reign was an important member of our law enforcement family and will be dearly missed. Our hearts go out to Officer Ayers’ family today as well, for their loss,” stated a press release from the Chehalis Police Department.
The pair has been credited with multiple suspect apprehensions, article and evidence searches and “finding impressive quantities of narcotics,” according to the release.
Ayers and Reign were conducting routine training while on duty when Reign had an “unexpected medical event.”
First aid was attempted on the dog, but he died “almost immediately,” according to the police department.
The department is taking Reign’s body to Washington State University for an exam to determine exactly what caused the dog’s death.
