Summit County K-9 passes away after medical emergency

DENVER (KDVR) -- A 3-year-old K-9 working for the Summit County Sheriff's Office suddenly died from a medical emergency on July 22, according to a release Monday.

Baby "Babe" Blue, started her career with the sheriff's office in July 2022. She was a German shorthair pointer originally from Hungary.

"We are saddened by the sudden loss of Babe, who served our community with loyalty and courage," Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said. "Her skill, dedication, and fun-loving personality are greatly missed."

Her handler, technician Sarah Frost, selected her when she was one. The two trained together at Vahne Liche Kennels, a training facility in Indiana before the two began their partnership in Summit County.

Babe was trained in narcotics detection and tracking. According to the sheriff's office, she could track a person or their belongings with just a whiff of an item containing the person's smell.

She collaborated with her handler on around 1,300 incidents, which ranged from searching for missing persons to traffic stops.