Capital K-9s

Capital K-9s is sad to announce that Arno, Madison’s first dual-purpose canine, died on Sunday, June 25th at 2:45 p.m. Arno was diagnosed with prostrate cancer in January of this year, one month prior to his scheduled retirement.

Arno was born in the Netherlands in 1995. Arno was chosen to become a police canine and was eventually imported to the USA. In 1998 he was paired up with Officer Chris Boyd, a Madison Police officer then assigned to the Dane County Narcotic and gang task force. They attended a five-week training school in Indiana prior and began working the street.

The team of Chris and Arno worked diligently and were awarded numerous awards and accolades. Arno was responsible for the seizure of almost 130 pounds of marijuana, 6 pounds of cocaine, 6 pounds of cocaine base, $270,000 in U.S. Currency, and numerous firearms and vehicles during his career. On three occasions they were awarded the Wisconsin Meritorious Narcotics Find by the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Canine Handlers Association. Once while on a bathroom break, Arno located 20 pounds of marijuana which led to a international investigation involving the DEA.

More importantly, Arno -- through his everyday citizen encounters and 100+ community demonstrations -- served as a visible and popular ambassador to the public for the Madison Police Department. As the first dual-purpose dog in the history of MPD, Arno's work laid the foundation for the formation of our current patrol K9 unit.

When not at work Arno was just like a regular dog. He lived with Officer Boyd and also lived with a Golden Retriever, Boston terrier, a cat and a bird. Arno had the gift of being both a gentle social pet and an intense working dog. Arno enjoyed car rides, camping, ice fishing but his favorite thing was going to work. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Capital K9 is currently accepting donations in memory of Arno. Capital K9 is the only source of funding for the Madison Police Department. It currently costs over $50,000 to put a trained K9 team on the street. Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated.

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