UNION TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Havoc, a Union Township police K9 who spent eight years patrolling the township’s streets, died Thursday morning in retirement with his handler, Officer CJ Holden, and Holden’s family by his side, the Union Township Police Department said in a Facebook post.
Havoc served the department from Aug. 1, 2018, until his retirement July 2, 2026, the department said. He was the second K9 added to Union Township’s Police Canine Unit, joining Officer Dave Perkins’ K9 Kaos, who had been on patrol since 2016.
Havoc was a pure-bred German Shepherd imported from the Czech Republic as an 18-month-old in 2018, according to the township’s newsletter. Holden and Lt. Anthony Rees traveled to Cleveland that May to select the dog from Excel K-9 Kennel, and Holden and Havoc trained together there for six weeks before Havoc was certified and began patrolling Union Township streets later that summer. The purchase and training were funded largely through donations from the Batavia and Williamsburg Rotary clubs and Rotarians Peter and Jeanne Weiglin, who together covered about three-quarters of the cost, the newsletter said.
As a dual-purpose K9, Havoc was trained in narcotics detection and tracking — work that could range from locating suspects fleeing a crime scene to helping find missing children or people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia who had wandered from home, according to the township.
When Havoc joined the department, Holden said becoming a K9 handler was something he had long wanted to do. “I know what it takes to become a successful K9 handler, and I know that by becoming a K9 handler, it is not just a position change but a lifestyle change,” he said at the time, according to the township newsletter.
The police department asked the community to keep Holden and his family in their thoughts following Havoc’s death. “His dedication, courage and loyalty touched the lives of many and left a lasting mark on our community,” the department said in its post.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Union Township Police Department.