APD canine Cody dies

Labrador retriever worked narcotic detection for six years

Humboldt Sentinel staff
8/17/09

Arcata

Arcata Police Department employees were shaken this weekend by the unexpected death of Cody, their longest-serving K-9 unit, who worked the narcotic detection beat with his handler, APD sergeant Todd Dokweiler.

"Cody's passing comes as a shock to all of us at APD," APD captain Tom Chapman stated in a release. "Cody played an important role in our department, not only as a working dog, but also as an enthusiastic, high-energy companion that could instantly put a smile on your face when he came barreling down the office hallway at top speed."

Cody passed away Saturday afternoon after he had been taken to a local veterinarian that morning due to stomach problems. He was not on duty when he became ill, according to the APD.

Otherwise known as Wilson Maximum Code Red, Cody was a seven-year-old AKC Labrador retriever who joined the APD in 2003 after his drug-sniffing training. During his career he made nearly 300 narcotic finds ranging from trace amounts of cocaine to over three pounds of heroin and two pounds of methamphetamine. He worked around the region on the Humboldt County Drug Task Force with most local law enforcement agencies, as well as with the California Department of Corrections, the United States Postal Service and the US Forest Service.