He Was Shot on Duty, but Cancer Ends Dog’s Career

Endy, a 7-year-old police dog who was shot in the leg last month during a standoff with a suspect, was put to sleep Wednesday after cancer was diagnosed.

The German shepherd’s condition was discovered when he was taken to the veterinarian for a checkup on his healing gunshot wound. Doctors determined that the cancer had spread and was inoperable.

The Santa Ana Police Department will have a memorial service for Endy at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Plaza of the Flags at the Civic Center.

During his four years in the Police Department’s canine unit, Endy participated in hundreds of searches and assisted officers in 190 arrests, Santa Ana Police Sgt. Doyle Smith said.

Endy also won 24 awards in statewide police dog competitions. Twelve of them were in scent-tracking categories. He also won awards in building search, evidence search and best overall police dog categories.

Before joining the Police Department in September 1992, Endy graduated first in his class at a police dog academy, where he was trained for narcotic detection and SWAT operations.

“These accomplishments are even more incredible when you consider Endy is blind in one eye,” Smith said.

On Aug. 24, Endy and his handler, Officer Eric Rimat, were shot as they helped other officers in a 6 1/2-hour standoff at a home in the 2600 block of West Saint Andrew Place. A bullet passed through the muscle in Endy’s leg but did not hit any bones or nerves.

Rimat “is very depressed and sad over the loss of the dog,” Santa Ana Police Sgt. Dick Faust said.

The Police Department has five other dogs in the canine unit. Endy will be replaced with a new dog as soon as Rimat recovers from the bullet wound to his elbow.