Plain City K9 officer dies after brief battle with cancer

PLAIN CITY, Ohio (WCMH) -- A K9 officer with the Plain City Police Department has died after a brief fight with cancer. Andor, a 7-year-old German Shepard, died Sunday. The department said that on June 6, Andor and his handler, Off. Josh Hirtzinger, were taking part in a training exercise when Hirtzinger noticed a change [...]

PLAIN CITY, Ohio (WCMH) -- A K9 officer with the Plain City Police Department has died after a brief fight with cancer.

Andor, a 7-year-old German Shepard, died Sunday.

The department said that on June 6, Andor and his handler, Off. Josh Hirtzinger, were taking part in a training exercise when Hirtzinger noticed a change in the dog's behavior. Andor was taken to the Plain City Animal Hospital, where he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma.

The veterinarian said Andor had less than three months to live, but should continue to work active duty to whatever degree Andor could handle. The vet went on to describe Andor's cruiser and patrol as his "happy place." Hirtzinger and his commanders agreed, deciding Andor would continue working for as long as he could.

"We expected to have a few more months to digest and process this news and to determine end-of-life plans," the department wrote in a statement. "Unfortunately, Andor only had about 12 days left and passed away near the end of his working shift on June 18, 2023."

Andor joined the department in March 2018 and was responsible for many searches, criminal apprehensions, drug alerts and arrests. He also took part in countless community engagement events with children, seniors, and everyone in between.

The department is currently planning funeral arrangements for Andor, which will be released once they are finalized, and asks the community to keep Hirtzinger, his family, and the entire department in its prayers.