Tri-County drug force announces passing of dog with golden nose

The Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team lost a member of its team.

K-9 Bailey, a 13-year old cocker spaniel, died in the early morning of Nov. 16, in her sleep from natural causes. K-9 Bailey began her career with Tri-DENT in 2010 until her recent retirement this summer.

K-9 Bailey began working in the street level unit assisting agents in search warrants, buy bust operations and traffic stops. In 2015, with the start of the interstate division of Tri-DENT, K-9 Bailey was primarily assigned to assist agents in traffic stops, narcotic trafficking and money laundering.

“K-9 Bailey not only provided an outstanding service in her 11-year career to the Tri-DENT Team and the public we serve in La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties,” said Commander Josh Boedigheimer, “but also to the entire law enforcement community, as well as a great companion to her handler and his family. She will be greatly missed.”

During her career, Bailey was deployed more than 7,000 times resulting in the seizures of more than 3,300 pounds of marijuana, more than 56 pounds of cocaine, 23 pounds of heroin and/or fentanyl, 123 pounds of methamphetamine equaling a total narcotic street value of more than $14 million. K-9 Bailey also assisted in the seizures of more than $14.5 million in illicit currency.