Indio Police K9 Passes Away

Indio Police are mourning the loss of a fallen k9 police service dog Zeus. Indio police say that Zeus died on Saturday from an aggressive form of cancer.

Zeus had worked alongside his handler, Officer Austin Studer, since September of 2012, and both were both members of the Desert Regional SWAT since October 2014.

Indio Police Chief Mike Washburn acknowledged the special bond officer Studer and Zeus had when he announced the news to the department saying, “”While we have suffered the loss of a fellow member of our department, Austin and his wife have lost a member of their immediate family.”

In addition to his service, Zeus often participated in K-9 demonstrations for school children throughout the city of Indio. He was requested on a regular basis by the elementary schools in Indio to teach children about police work, the K-9 program, and how to act around dogs in order to prevent being bitten.