An Arizona Department of Public Safety service dog, Fallon, has died after a battle with cancer.
The golden retriever had been with the department since 2015, before dying on Monday at the age of 9.5 years.
Fallon spent the majority of her time at the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC) in Phoenix, where detectives, analysts and other personnel are often tasked with handling distressing information and images of crimes. She also made visits to units agencywide following stressful events, such as critical incidents or employee illness, and visited partner agencies when extra support was needed.
AZDPS says “Fallon’s sweet and comforting demeanor had the unique ability to help people decompress even during the most challenging times.”
Fallon was donated to AZDPS by the 100 Club of Arizona and For Those Without A Voice when she was almost two years old. She was originally intended to work as both an electronics detection and service dog, sniffing out hidden storage devices and digital evidence while also helping employees cope with stressful situations. However, her handlers quickly discovered her loving and outgoing personality made her better suited solely for service work.
“She had no shame about it,” said Detective Jeff Easton, one of Fallon’s longtime handlers. “She would walk up to people, stare at them and roll over. She loved that.”