A K-9 officer for the Baytown Police Department died last week after a venomous snake bit him.
The dog, Lenin, was bitten during a training exercise and later died at a local veterinarian’s office. He was 2 years old.
An untreated bite from a venomous snake can kill a dog within hours, according to The Spruce Pets. Treatment usually involves a dose of antivenin. As many as 80% of dogs who suffer a venomous snake bite survive if treatment is fast enough, the website claimed.
In addition to the type of snake, Spruce Pets also noted that the fatality of a snake bite depends on how many times the snake struck, where on the dog the snake bit, and the size of the dog. According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife website, potentially dangerous venomous snakes in Texas include copperheads, cottonmouths, rattlesnakes, and coral snakes.
Lenin, Belgian Malinois-German shepherd mix, had a short career with the Baytown Police Department but was very successful.
He was the first Baytown PD canine trained to detect bombs and guns. In 2022, he went through three explosives sweeps and 17 weapon sweeps, during which he located 10 guns and other evidence items, according to WFAA.
In February, Lenin and his handler, Patrol Officer Hunter Kinzie, competed in a nationwide K-9 officer competition. The pair won the top bomb dog award and placed second and third in two bomb-related events.
“The Baytown Police Department mourns the loss of K9 Lenin. He was one of our own as surely as any other officer in this agency is one of our own,” Baytown Police Chief John Stringer told WFAA. “For us, that means he was family, and he will be missed but never forgotten. Our hearts are heavy for his partner, K9 Officer Kinzie, who lost not only a partner but a faithful friend. K9 Lenin made significant contributions to the safety of Baytown in his short time with our department, and he will be missed.”