Ceremony held for county police dog
K9 Nova, a black Labrador retriever with the Waupaca County Sheriff Department, recently died and was remembered in a ceremony at Swan Park on Sept. 7.
A week earlier Nova underwent surgery after a tumor ruptured.
After the operation, it was evident the dog would not recover.
“Nova gave her best years to the protection of Waupaca County and has earned her eternal peace,” said Sheriff Timothy R. Wilz.
Nova was partnered with Deputy Graham Barden and was part of his family for the past three years and 10 months.
The dog was originally paired with now retired Detective Sgt. Jon Loken in June 2018 until he was promoted in 2019.
During Nova’s five years of service, she detected drugs, was along during apprehensions and was trained in tracking.
Her favorite assignment was visiting children in schools.