Local News

Pittsburgh Police K-9 Unit announces death of retired K-9, Lapis

By Patrick Damp

January 3, 2024 / 8:27 AM EST / CBS Pittsburgh

KDKA-TV Morning Forecast (1/3)

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Pittsburgh Police are now mourning the loss of another one of their own.

On Facebook on Monday, the Pittsburgh Police K9 Unit announced the passing of retired, 12-year-old K9 Lapis.

Lapis, a former Pittsburgh Police K9 Unit member Pittsburgh Police K9 Unit/Facebook

Lapis was with the Pittsburgh Police and served as a narcotics detection K9 for seven years.

He began his service with the K9 unit in May 2013 and retired in November 2020.

For the last three years, he lived with his handler Officer Houck and his family.

Pittsburgh Police

Patrick Damp

Patrick Damp is a web producer for CBS Pittsburgh. A Pittsburgh native who grew up watching KDKA-TV, Patrick studied journalism at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. After half a decade in sports communication, Patrick decided to pursue his dream of working in journalism in his hometown and joined the CBS Pittsburgh team in 2019.