Retired Buffalo Police K9 who served alongside late Lt. Craig Lehner has died

Photo: Buffalo Police Department

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Shield, the Buffalo Police K9 who served alongside the late Lt. Craig Lehner and later retired in 2022 after six years of service, has died, the Buffalo Police Department announced Buffalo. He was 11 years old.

“Shield has been a tremendous K9 for the Buffalo Police Department and the City of Buffalo,” Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said in a statement. “I had the opportunity to be with Shield on calls and he was known throughout the department as one of the best. … We are grateful for his service to our community.”

Shield began his career with the Buffalo Police Department in 2016 with Lehner, his partner and manager. Lehner tragically died in 2017 during an underwater training exercise in the Niagara River.

After the death of his original partner, Shield teamed up with Officer Matthew Richards for the next five years of his service. He then lived out the rest of his days with the Richards family in retirement.

“We call them working dogs – they are so much more than that,” Richards said in a statement.

“The love that comes from “working” with these dogs is endless and tireless. …Time spent together creates a bond that cannot be broken. It has been my honor and privilege to continue the training of Shield after the tragic loss of Lt. Craig Lehner. I will miss Shield as his passing has left a huge void in the hearts of my family.