K9 ChokesTo Death In Police Training Exercise In York County

The handler rendered "life-saving efforts" on Zar, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois-German Shepherd mix, but was unable to dislodge the foreign object from his airway, police said.

He was rushed to an emergency clinic where he was pronounced dead, according to the department.

The dog's remains will be escorted to the Newberry Animal Emergency Center at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday night for cremation, and "numerous police officers plan to attend to honor Zar’s life and service," an NTPD spokesperson said.

Zar worked with the department for four years and was trained in suspect apprehension and narcotics detection, police said.

He "removed countless amounts of harmful drugs" from Newberry streets and once tracked down a firearm used in an attempted murder, according to authorities.

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