TOLLAND, CT – Connecticut mourned the loss of its famous and respected police dog, Drago, on Friday.

Drago worked with veteran police officer and dog handler Kyle Kaelberer while stationed with Troop C in Tolland County. The black German Shepherd had a distinctive floppy ear, which made him very photogenic and popular with children at promotional events.

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State police said he died on July 4 from “medical complications.” He had struggled with stomach problems in the past.

Kaelberer and Drago were graduates of the Connecticut State Police's 201st Patrol Dog Class and the 219th Drug Detection Dog Class. They also served together as “highly respected” members of the State Police's tactical unit, state police said.

“The Connecticut State Police regrets to announce the passing of K-9 Drago. During his career, Drago successfully tracked down countless wanted suspects and missing persons, as well as a large amount of illegal drugs,” the state police said. “K-9 Drago was a beloved member of Troop C and had an immeasurable impact on the safety of the citizens of Tolland County, the State of Connecticut and the Connecticut State Police as a whole.”

Drago certainly had his successes.

Just this January, for example, he and Kaelberer caught a suspect in a murder case in Massachusetts. The Webster Police Department in Massachusetts contacted the Connecticut State Police about a vehicle they tried to stop in their town that ended up crashing at Exit 53 on Interstate 395 in the town of Thompson, Connecticut.

The driver fled on foot after the crash and Drago and Kaelberer were called to help. They picked up a trail in a dense wooded area and Drago found the suspect, who was arrested after a brief struggle, state police said. It was later determined that the suspect had not only engaged Webster police in a chase, but also in a stolen vehicle.

The suspect also had a nationwide arrest warrant with extradition privileges for assault with intent to murder and numerous firearms offenses out of Worcester, MA.

In October 2023, a 50-year-old Iowa man who was on the run from authorities for about 12 hours after a car crash on Interstate 84 in Tolland was finally caught by Drago.

The man was driving a stolen 2010 Infinity EX35 westbound on I-84 about a half-mile from exit 68 when he suddenly lost control of the vehicle and struck the median, according to an accident report. The car had a North Carolina license plate, state police said.

The man fled the vehicle on foot after the crash, crossing the eastbound lanes of I-84, according to an accident report. State police then set up a perimeter in the area and police dog Drago was called in to track him down. Drago found and detained him in a wooded area.

In August 2022, a driver told Kaelberer that “your dog is in the wrong” after Drago alerted him to the presence of drugs during a traffic stop on I-84 in Tolland.

Of course, Drago was not wrong, and according to a police report, during a subsequent search, officers found 14 grams of fentanyl and 1.5 grams of crack cocaine.

In February 2021, Troop C received a 911 call about individuals attempting to steal vehicles in the area of ​​Kozley Road and Williams Way in Tolland. The second caller had interrupted the break-in in his garage, and the would-be thief pulled out a gun as he approached the group, according to an arrest report.

Before the men fled the property, the man managed to get a description of the getaway car. According to a police report, it turned out to be a stolen Acura RDX from Newington.

Kaelberer saw the Acura traveling south on Old Stafford Road in Tolland. As he and Drago turned to follow the vehicle, which was traveling at a high rate of speed through the intersection of Old Stafford and Dunn Hill Road and then south onto Tolland Green, the car collided head-on with another state police cruiser traveling north with its blue lights flashing, according to a state police report.

Five people exited the Acura and fled on foot, state police said. Kaelberer and Drago pursued the 19-year-old driver on foot, who was caught by Drago and arrested at the scene.