Central to all listening units K9 Forest of the valua County Sheriff's Office was killed in the line of duty on Tuesday November 22nd 2016 after serving two loyal years this is K9 for's Final Call as he reports to his final Duty station he carries with him our gratitude and appreciation for his ultimate sacrifice to protect and serve luch County Sheriff's Office F Handler Brandon Sergeant Brody Hughes and the community that he loved K9 Forest is 10:7 10:42 God bless rest in peace for for now say can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we the [Music] Twilight L gleaming Brad stripes and bright stars through [Music] the or the ramp parts we watched were so [Music] gantly streaming and the rocket red the bombs Bur sting in G Pro through the night that our flag was still there oh say does that star spangle W or the land of the [Music] free and the home of the brave [Applause] [Music] [Applause] let's pray Father in heaven we thank you that we have the privilege of paying honor to this friend Defender one that willingly as you deare in your word that the greatest love that can be shown is when a life is laid down for a friend so we honor canine for us we pray for those who have suffered this loss we ask that you would comfort them that you would encourage them that you would watch over them and protect them and we thank you in Jesus name amen please be seated we want to thank each and every one of you for coming out this afternoon to honor a hero at the end of her career the last thing you want to do to have one of your FL last official actions to have to come together for a solemn occasion it's something you never want to have to go through and I actually came with prepared remarks but after looking at that I just didn't want to go that way I'm stopping and just looking out here that truly a group of Heroes all the way through each and every one of you who put on a uni form every day that leads that canine or I should say that canine leads you and how tragedy can strike so sudden as it did with Forest your canines who are ready in a moment's notice to give their life for you to protect you to be a hero for you that hero that's behind that animal that part of the family that no matter what happens he's there for you all of the canons that had been killed throughout their careers and what's sad is this year we have lost 33 canines in the United States last year that was only 27 and the year before that 20 but how many more of them have been beat drowned shot and still com back to attack whoever they were protecting or taken down to protect their masters and even after severe injuries how they can't wait to come back and get back to work get back to doing their job and you look out here and how many times and there's many of you in this audience here that canine has actually saved your life forest was out there to save de's Ellis's life he gave his wife his life and I can say honestly willingly they'll give their life for you where can you find such a partner anywhere we would hope that it would never happen again but we know it will it's just like you men and women out there that every day you step up to the plate not knowing whether or not you're going to come home your family's by your side when you kiss them good night and you go out when that dog who works for a bouncing ball and a bone leaves home and maybe not come back home I thank each and every one of you for what you do you're all heroes Forest gave the ultimate to protect our society we thank him for that we thank you for that we thank you for giving him to us thank you my name is Michael Webb and I'm a canine Handler and instructor with the sheriff's office I'm on behalf of the entire canine unit I would like to thank everyone in attendance who came to honor canine Forest canine forest was the first canine killed in the line of duty in this agency's history and God willing he will be the last I'd like to take a few minutes and share some memories of canine forest with you guys in mid October of 2015 myself and fellow instructor Reinhardt began testing canines For an upcoming canine School the sheriff's office going to replace one Handler's canine who was retiring and the second canine was going to a new Handler Deputy Brandon Ellis during the testing process one of two kin's pick was a 12-month-old German Shepherd named Forest K9 forest was one of the youngest canines we had ever trained and definitely the youngest we' ever put with a brand new Handler Brandon and Forest started canine School in the first week of November of 2015 during the first few weeks of school Brandon and Forest would struggle with obedience Kine Forest had no prior training a very short attention span and a ton of energy and drive I remembered one day watching an obedience exercise where forest was given the sick command and after he gave Brandon good attention he would be rewarded as toy well just as he completed his sit and looked up a butterfly flew over Brandon's head I think you can all guess what happened next Forest chased the butterfly Brandon and toe I remember having to laugh but at the same time thinking to myself this is going to be a long School over the next few weeks Brandon and Forest worked out their differences in obedience and actually started looking like a Kine team we were able to move forward into tracking apprehension work building and area searches Forest had a couple of favorite subjects in school one anything to do with apprehension work and two tracking let's just say forest was an over achiever during apprehension work he would run as fast as he could downfield and hit the decoy as hard as possible every time it was like a small traffic crash then he would give the decoy a good shaking until he was given his release command I joke with some of the decoys to close their mouths if they had any fillings in their teeth because he was sure to shake them loose during the last couple couple weeks of school the instructors would lay tracks to simulate real calls and have the new canine teams respond and Deploy on the track I remember Deputy Reinhardt laid Brandon and Forest a track that some season canine teams could have had trouble with canine Forest made the track look easy with Brandon being a new Handler I remember telling Deputy Reinhardt he doesn't even know what he has Brandon and Kine Forest graduated canine school on 225 of 2016 and was assigned to Deltona on 316 of 2016 canine Forest would prove himself when he apprehended a felony suspect hiding under a house over the next eight months Brandon and canine Forest experiened the same problems any new canine team on the street would lack of K9 calls the negative real tracks on the street and his apprehension work came up where he was needing more and more Corrections and control work myself and Deputy Reinhardt will work with Brandon and Forest at training and while on duty Brandon continued working hard with forest and training and was beginning to see the results on Kine training night Tuesday 11:22 of 16 I was a Decoy for Forest during apprehension work Canan Forest came out and completed his all of his apprehension work without a single Voice or leash correction after apprehension work all the handlers took a dinner break during our dinner break Brandon and K9 Forest were called out to Delona to track a felony suspect who fled on foot from deputies I remember listening to to the call on a radio and hearing Air1 tell the canine team the suspect was two two houses ahead of them followed by your canine's on them shortly thereafter shots fired Canan for Forest had paid the ultimate sacrifice that night while defending his hand and backup I am confident that on that night Brandon was able to see exactly what he had in Canan forest and that was a police dog I hello and I just want to thank everybody for coming here today to honor the passing of canine Forest going try to hold it together I'd like to tell you a little about me and Forest in the year we spent together on October 28th 2015 I was selected to be the newest member of the vucha County Sheriff's Office canine unit the position for me was a dream come true once I received the phone call it was two sleepless nights of wondering what my new canart partner would be like two days later I picked up forest from at the time it was southern coast can9 in new Suna Beach when I first saw Forest he was a 12-month-old 62lb calm quiet mellow German Shepherd or so I thought I remember talking to Tom um instructor Tommy Reinhardt later that day and just saying you know I can't wait to start training and for him to build gain that confidence and become that smart Street Smart canine that I've seen with all the other handlers boy was iing for a rude awakening the next week I started canine school with Forest I never thought walking in a straight line a toy in one hand and a dog at my heel would be one of the hardest things I'd ever have to do I can I can't count how many times I tripped over him but he took it like a champ and was always ready to start over so over the next few weeks and many more Falls we came together and started walking as a canine team again I remember telling instructors web and Reinhardt you know I can't wait to start training doing some bite work and stuff like that with forest and once bite work training came around I got what I asked for and then some I felt like a 16-year-old behind the wheel of a Ferrari I had all the power in the world and had no clue how to control it after only the first few apprehension exercises I realized I'd probably bit off more than I could chew I could only imagine for forest was thinking at this point hey Dad you better hold on cuz I'm driving now so after a grueling and stressful certification day I remember Mike Webb telling me in the position of a canine Handler you'll feel the highest of highs and the lowest of lows he was right Mike said people are going to look at you for answers to on questions what to do on calls and for you and Forest to catch the bad guy this would be something I thought about every day before I put my vest on and loaded for us in the truck to go to work we had completed canine School passed our FDLE certification and we're finally official K 108 K9 team and it was a dream come true less than three weeks on the road we had our first apprehension together as a team a wanted subject who was hiding underneath the house refusing to come out Forest certainly changed his mind when he gently escorted him out from underneath the house on that day I felt like our our hard work and hours of training had finally paid off over the next 8 months we serviced numerous calls some successful some not but really started becoming that K9 team I had dreamt about other than the occasional call to instructor Webb and Reinhardt about Force ripping up the inside of my truck but I knew in I knew in my heart that this was his way of expressing his willingness and drive to get out and work on November 22nd of this year we would serve our last call together forest and I responded from canine training into land to assist District Four deputies with locating a subject to a flood we arrived at the scene and I can tell you he was fired up after a 20-minute code 3 run across the county he got out and charged ahead just like on many other dark nights before force was pulling hard and tracking flawlessly forced and tracked into a heavily wooded area and apprehended the subject this was the first time he and I had successfully located I'm sorry tracked located and apprehended a subject as a canine team at that point in time I was so proud and overwhelmed with joy I was at the highest high and then in the blink of an eye I realized he had been shot I was living my worst nightmare everything went out the window at that time and all I could think was getting the forest and getting him the help he need at the the land animal hospital after several minutes went by I was informed Forest had passed and that was the lowest of Loaves and probably the lowest i' had ever felt in my life I lost my buddy my partner and undoubtedly the the best dog i' had ever met to Forest on that night you looked evil straight in the eyes and brought the fight to him your bra bravery and fearlessness allowed me and Sergeant Hughes to go home to our wives and kids for that we will be forever grateful I know now that God has designated me a personal Guardian Angel to watch over me for the rest of my career I love you and miss you buddy I'd like to to say thank you to the doctors and staff at Delan animal hospital for their Valiant and determined efforts to save Canon force that night I'd like to say thank you to sheriff Le Mike Chitwood along with Captain Joey Gallagher for their compassion and support they showed me and my wife law at the animal hospital that night to sheriff Ben Johnson Chief Deputy Eric Dietrich and major Saint Summers and many other vcso Command Staff thank you for coordinating the efforts bringing out all bringing in outside agencies and pulling out all the stops contain and catch that subject and I want to thank and I want to thank all the law enforcement officers who responded to the call that night throughout the following day and the duration of the entire call it was truly an unbelievable sight watching all my brothers and sisters come together to risk their lives on behalf of forest Sergeant Hughes and myself thank you your time waiting for that second chance for a break there's to feel and it's hard at the end day I need some distraction oh beautiful Rel [Music] may maybe I'd find in [Music] from here from this dark hotel room and the that you feel you are from Wreck of yourent you're in the arms of the angel you find some comfort here straine [Music] everywhere vultur and thieves storm keeps on tting keep on build the that you make up for all that you [Music] [Music] EAS in the arms of the angel fly away from here from this darkar [Music] you are P from the W of yourent you're in the arm angel I'm glad we had a uh song in there I don't think I would have been able to follow Brandon um I'm going to jump around a little bit but before I get to the heart of my message I want to take a moment to tell you about an individual that have a great great great deal of respect for and someone I'm willing to go into battle again with again when I first met Brandon four years ago he was making his way through a short stint in one of our cour houses as you can imag imagine the Monday through Friday weekends and holidays off didn't really appeal to a guy eager to go out and catch bad guys yet Brandon managed to come to work every day with a smile on his face and give us 100% what Brandon probably doesn't know is that was the first time I began to feel old I was sitting in the break room minding my own business when Brandon and other Deputy were carrying on about where they were on September 11th I wasn't paying much attention to the conversation until Brandon decided to ask me if I remember where I was at on that day I answered the question I told him where I was at his response to be frank knocked me on my butt I I was at school I was in sixth grade for the first time it hit me I'm becoming one of those dinosaurs we all saw when we first got into law enforcement a few months later our pass would cross again I was back working as a patrol sergeant in Deltona and Brandon was a signed to my shift eager to learn Brandon was like a sponge and while he made his fair share of mistakes he was always always willing to step up to the plate and did it with a smile on his face now you might ask why all this is relevant well if we fast forward a couple of years now I'm the can9 sergeant faced with selecting a new Handler in Deltona and you guess that I chose Brandon after all he was a known commodity and he always showed a lot of heart it didn't take long Mike and the boys were out testing dogs and came across Forest a 12-month-old Tasmanian devil on speed I remember Mike telling me forest was going to take a lot for Brandon to work him but once Brandon got it down the pair would be unstoppable Canan school was interesting to say the least I remember asking one of the other handlers how Brandon was doing the response didn't surprise me Brandon is as hard-headed as Forest they were like two peas in a pod they proceeded to tell me Brandon is busy writing canine commands on the Whiteboard over and over apparently Brandon couldn't remember one of the commands for the dog and Punishment was writing out the words on the Whiteboard fortunately for Brandon it wasn't long ago that he was in sixth grade so this type of punishment was very fitting a few weeks later I called out the training field and asked again how's Brandon's training was going everything was great Brandon was working to correct the fence puzzled by this response I asked whatever do you mean apparently Brandon was struggling a bit with how to correct Forest the Tasmanian devil on speed so they made Brandon hook the lead to the fence and correct the fence to drive home their point after several months of work work Brandon and Forest graduated canine school and were ready to hit the streets an excellent tracking dog canine forest was a welcome addition to the Canan family during the past year I can tell you that it was a pure enjoyment to watch a Brandon and forest grow as a team and they were not without struggles but on November 22nd they brought it all together I was on that track with Brandon and I watched them work flawlessly everything Brandon had struggled with was gone the dog was casting out Brandon was reading him perfectly and then it went to hell in a handbag I want to tell you about I want to read a poem to you and most of you have probably heard this one night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord many seams from my life flashed across the sky in each scene I noticed Footprints in the Sand sometimes there were two sets of footprints other times there was only one this bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life when I was suffering from anguish sorrow or defeat I could see only one set of footprints so I said to the Lord you promise me Lord that if I followed you you would walk away you would walk with me always but I've noticed that during most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand why when I needed you the most have you not been there for me the Lord repli replied the years when you have seen only one set of footprints my child is when I cared you now my wife will tell you that I'm not an overly religious person that is I don't Church attend church every Sunday as I probably should but I do believe in God and I do believe he is always there with us for me he has been there twice when I needed him the most the first time he put a solid wooden door between me and a crazy gunman and had it not been for that door I may not stand here today the second time when I needed him more than ever he sent can9 Forest to protect Brandon and I and I can tell you standing here today that had it not been for canine Forest I have little doubt that Brandon and I may not stand here today and for that I am grateful ladies and gentlemen at this time I would ask that you please stand so that we can pay honor to Canan Forest [Music] detail for for hey that all for for right [Applause] detail we ready hey F ready hey ready hey [Music] h [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] order for for for for for for for for amazing gra hyper at your ready [Music] for [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] right he ladies and gentlemen this concludes the portion from inside there will be a short service outside at this time can9 hamers we would ask that you go outside get by your car take your dog out of your car turn on your emergency equipment so that K9 Forest can drive by for last and final honor for [Music] got [Music] [Applause] [Music] can9 Forest of the valua County Sheriff's Office was killed in the of Duty on Tuesday November 22nd 2016 after serving two loyal years this is 294 his final call as he reports to his final Duty station he carries with him our gratitude and appreciation for his ultimate sacrifice to protect and serve luch County Sheriff's Office F Handler Brandon Sergeant Brody Hughes and the community that he loved K9 Forest is 107 10:42 God bless rest in peace