Sheriff’s office mourns loss of faithful, furry family member

Published 10:00 pm Wednesday, September 2, 2015

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of K9 Kimbo after he lost his battle with cancer last Friday.

Kimbo was a Belgian Malinois who was known to find drugs in Polk and surrounding counties. Lt. Jared McFalls, Kimbo’s handler, said he was part of his family.

“He was our bread and butter,” McFalls said. “He’s paid for himself several times over. He was my rock star.”

Kimbo would have been seven years old in January and the sheriff’s office had him for five years, since he was two years old.

McFalls said Kimbo’s medical issues started with a swollen toe and after a couple rounds of antibiotics the veterinarian recommended removing the toe, since it wouldn’t affect Kimbo’s work performance. Things looked good at first as Kimbo began walking and the infection seemed to be healing.

McFalls went for a three-day training and returned to find Kimbo’s foot was swollen. After another round of antibiotics, Kimbo wasn’t doing well and stopped eating. The vet then found another knot behind Kimbo’s knee and later discovered it all was cancer and nothing could be done.

McFall’s tried everything, even taking Kimbo to a cancer specialist for dogs and cats in Greenville, but the cancer had spread up his leg. Kimbo quickly lost 20 lbs.

Weighing only 50 lbs. from his normal 75 lbs. and barely able to walk, Kimbo was euthanized on Friday, Aug. 28.

McFalls said he is not alone in his grief, especially from his wife and children.

“I wasn’t alone,” McFalls said. “He was part of the family. My wife and kids were just as devastated as I was. He went on family vacations with us. He went to the beach for the first time this year and saw the ocean. The kids called him their hairy brother.”

McFalls said Kimbo went to work with him every day, went home with him every day and was always with his family.

McFalls said Kimbo is credited with many arrests over his five years, finding numerous amounts of drugs. He said he remembers Kimbo discovering five ounces of cocaine once and three lbs. of liquid methamphetamine.

It wasn’t uncommon for other agencies to call Polk requesting Kimbo come and do searches.

The sheriff’s office flew its flags at half-staff in honor of Kimbo following his death.

Polk County Sheriff Donald Hill, a former K9 handler, said Kimbo was one of their own and his entire staff is grieving.

Hill said he lost two K9s himself so he knows the bond between a handler and his dog.

A memorial service for Kimbo will be held at the McFarland Funeral Home in Tryon on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 6:30 p.m. Officers from Polk and surrounding counties will meet at the sheriff’s office at 5:30 p.m. for a procession to the funeral home. The public is invited to attend.