Several months ago, the Brooksville Police Department lost one of its K-9 officers to an aggressive form of cancer.

  • Brooksville Police Department lost a K-9 to cancer
  • After 8 years of service, another K-9 is retiring
  • The future of Brooksville's K-9 unit rests with Blitz

The department's only other K-9 just retired after eight years of service, but another four-legged officer will soon be prowling the streets.

Blitz, a 2-year-old German Shepherd, is the newest member of the department and will soon help fight crime in the city of Brooksville.

"He has a lot of energy, very high energy," said Officer Shane Derryberry, Blitz's handler. "He's a fast worker, fast learner. He's doing well in school."

Blitz has some pretty big paw prints to fill. In May, K-9 Titan was diagnosed with an aggressive form a cancer. The community eventually raised about $1,800 for the Brooksville Police Department's K-9 program.

"To suddenly have something happen where your partner becomes sick and you don't know what's wrong and they determine that it's a terminal illness, it's very sad and you feel the loss for a long time," Derryberry said.

The department's only other K-9, 10-year-old Scout, is retiring after eight years of service. He and Derryberry made hundreds of drug searches, seizures and arrests. Scout is now home with Derryberry's other dogs and enjoying retirement.

Derryberry now has the task of training Blitz, who is currently in the Hillsborough County Sheriff's K-9 school.

"I'm trying to get him socialized to everybody and fitting into the pack," Derryberry said.

Blitz will join the force after graduation in February 2017.