Conan, Austintown police dog, dies

Austintown

Township police said goodbye Tuesday to one of their own.

Conan, the department’s 71⁄2 year-old German shepherd, died Tuesday after battling an aggressive tumor that spread throughout his body, said Chief Bob Gavalier.

The dog joined the department in 2007 and bonded quickly with his handler, officer Justin Coulter, who said Conan was wonderful to work with.

“He was my best friend,” Coulter said. “He was a blast to work with, and we had a lot of success together.”

Between May 2007 and February 2011, Coulter and Conan had 37 felony and 185 misdemeanor arrests and conducted 485 narcotic searches, according to a news release issued Wednesday by Gavalier.

For the full story, read Thursday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.