OCEAN COUNTY – The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of their K9 officer Owen, who passed away at the age of 9.
Owen passed away with his handler, Investigator Ronald Braen, by his side after a brief battle with lymphoma, the Sheriff’s Office announced. He served the residents of Ocean County for seven years.
K9 Owen joined the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office in February of 2017 and was trained in explosives detection.
The duo served as a part of the New Jersey State Detect and Render Safe Task Force, being deployed to explosive threats and pre-event sweeps throughout Ocean County and New Jersey.
“As much as K9 Owen was driven to work, one of his favorite parts of the job was attending community events. Inv. Braen and K9 Owen were often found at community demonstrations throughout Ocean County,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Inv. Braen and his family during this difficult time,” the Sheriff’s Office added.
