A police officer and his partner have a unique relationship. Often finding themselves in the midst of tense, potentially dangerous settings, they have to rely on one another to back them up, many times in life-threatening situations. For Valparaiso Police Officer Todd Kobitz, his first K9 partner Frida has been an exceptional ally. “She’s so personable, everybody who knows her could love on her, pet her,” he shared. “Yet the minute it was time for work, she snapped into work mode.”
Frida served as a K9 officer for 7 years, officially retiring in March of 2012 after experiencing a disease that caused stroke-like symptoms. During her time in service, she assisted with 325 arrests and set a precedent for the department as the first patrol dog on staff. “She opened many doors,” stated Kobitz. All K9s before had been solely used for drug detection and tracking; as a patrol dog, Frida assisted in all aspects of K9 police work including apprehension of suspects.
Already a patient of Vale Park Animal Hospital, as are the rest of the department dogs, Officer Kobitz recently brought Frida to the hospital after discovering a lump on her neck. Frida was diagnosed with histiocytic sarcoma, cancer in the neck and lymph nodes, with a long-term survival expectancy of 3-5 months. In an effort to try and treat the cancer as best as they can in order to make her end of life as comfortable as possible, Frida is undergoing chemotherapy administered via tablet form every 3 weeks by Dr. Bill Donohue.
“Our goal is to try to shrink and prevent the spread of the tumor,” stated Dr. Donohue. “Any dog that I treat with chemo, our goal is to give them more good than bad days.” Frida may feel lethargic and unwell for a day or two, but perk up for the next several weeks.
“Dogs tend to tolerate chemotherapy better than humans,” he continued. With her treatment just beginning, Kobitz has not noticed a change in Frida other than her energy levels returning. “She’s up moving a lot more now,” he said. “There’s no suppressed appetite. She’s been getting a lot of treats,” he laughed, sharing how Frida has been spoiled with gifts from the department and other fans.
With such a short life expectancy, the team will be looking out for signs of decline in order to determine the next steps. “Once the bad days outweigh the good, we’ll have to make a decision to help let them go, together as a group,” shared Donohue. “We are not only treating with medicine, but also helping the family by counseling them on what’s right to do for Frida.”
More than just a partner, Frida is family to Kobitz. “She was with me 24/7 for 7 years,” he said. “I owe it to her, to give her a chance, and when it’s time, to make the call that’s best for her. She can’t compare with any other dog.”
Many in the public may not realize the relationship between a handler and his K9 companion extends beyond the boundaries of a working situation. “When K9 officers retire, they are still with their handler, they keep the dog for their lifetime. It’s a commitment,” stated Donohue.
Vale Park’s commitment to the K9s also extends beyond their service years as well, as they pick up the costs of the care for both active and retired officers. “This helps us a lot,” said Kobitz. “It frees us up so we can spend the budget on other needs, such as equipment for the K9s.”
“I recommend Vale Park Animal Hospital for everything. They’ve been very good to the police department. Any issue we have, we make a phone call and they’re here, ready to help.”
We here at ValpoLife wish Frida the best with her treatments and offer her our thanks for her great service to the city!