Gresham Police Dog Dies, Basco Was 11, Aided In 300 Apprehensions

GRESHAM, OR —He was a good boy. For nearly a decade, Basco helped patrol the streets of Gresham. During that time, he racked up more than 300 apprehensions while working with his partner, Officer Shawn Debler.

On Monday night, just before 11, he died while on patrol.

Debler said that Basco had been suffering from a rapidly progressing illness.

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"He was an amazing partner and exceptional canine," Debler says. "I am thankful for all the work we did together to keep our community safe and I’ll miss him greatly."

During his career, Basco – a 1/2 Belgian Malinois and a 1/2 German Shepherd – worked not only with the Gresham PD but with the East Metro SWAT team where he was called on to work in high-risk situations.

Debler, who is also does trainings around the state for the Oregon Police K9 Association, has talked about how he spent more time with Basco than with his family.

A spokesman for the department thanked Basco for "service," adding that he "will be missed."