K9 gets cancer treatment thanks to Lacey’s Fund

• Vermont State Police K9 Quincy was diagnosed with terminal cancer on Dec. 12.
• The 5-year-old German shepherd retired after his diagnosis of bone cancer in his nose.
• Quincy will receive cancer treatment courtesy of Lacey’s Fund, which supports treatment for retired police dogs.
• Quincy remains with the family of his handler, Trooper David Roos.

When Vermont State Police K9 Quincy began to experience nosebleeds this month, his handler Trooper David Roos took him to the veterinarian, expecting a diagnosis such as a severe sinus infection.

The diagnosis the doctor returned was terminal cancer.

Though Roos’ wife, a veterinary technician, had warned that dog nosebleeds were usually indicative of larger issues, the trooper said he had not expected an issue of that magnitude.

“I was very shocked,” Roos said. “I was not prepared to have a diagnosis for cancer ... It’s heartbreaking.”

Quincy, a 5 ¹/₂-year-old German shepherd, had been working with Roos for more than three years out of the St. Johnsbury state police barracks. He retired after being handed the official diagnosis, around Dec. 12. Quincy was trained to detect seven types of illegal narcotics, Roos said.

Quincy has bone cancer, which has manifested as a tumor in his nasal cavity, Roos said. However, Quincy’s case is quite rare due to his young age and the fact that the tumor is only in his nose.

Lacey’s Fund benefits retired police dogs that have left police agencies in good standing by paying for medical expenses that handlers might not be able to afford. The fund, which is connected with the Vermont Police Canine Association, has offered to pay for Quincy’s treatment.

Roos said funding police dogs after retirement is a great way to honor those who have devoted most of their lives to Vermont’s police forces.

“He was doing things that he loved to do, and he was enthusiastic about his work, but he didn’t have the choice of saying, ‘No, I’m not going to detect drugs in that location,’” Roos said. “There’s a certain sense of obligation when you take a responsibility on like that and you expose them to heightened risks. I think that also goes hand in hand with the increased responsibility for taking care of them after retirement.”

Not only has Quincy been Roos’ work partner, but Roos said he has also become a part of the family. Quincy sleeps in Roos’ bedroom next to his bed, and at home he also has a friend named Sniper, who is a cross between the Chihuahua and the dachshund. Quincy will continue to live with Roos and his family through retirement.

Giving back

Lacey’s Fund was founded in 2008 by Shelburne residents Kirk and Loretta Walters after their dog Lacey passed away. Lacey was not a police dog, but the Walters family wanted to honor Lacey in some way after she died, Colchester Police Cpl. David Dewey said.

Dewey is the former president of the Vermont Police Canine Association, and he has been working with police canines for 15-16 years, he said. There are currently 45 working dogs in the state, including Dewey’s dog, K9 Tazor, he said.

Dewey said that the Walters consulted with both him and a local doctor and friend, Dr. Paul Howard who works out of the Vermont Veterinary Surgery Center in Colchester and has treated police canine dogs. Together, they came up with the idea for Lacey’s fund.

“Paul often compared our canines to football players,” Dewey said. “They get all the best care when they’re working, but oftentimes the wear-and-tear on the job doesn’t show itself until after the dogs are retired ... Handlers just can’t afford to put all that money into the dog.”

Dewey said the fund generally covers large medical expenses, and not the annual veterinary check-up bills. The fund also covers expenses incurred for all retired police dogs when they visit the vet for the final time to be put down, as well as cremation costs.

“Their whole world exists to help the police department and help the community,” Dewey said. “The whole theory is that they helped us for such a long time, so let them retire and let them enjoy it. Dogs’ lives are short enough as it is, and I don’t think it’s fair for them to retire and then have to live their retirement in pain or misery or shorten their retirement because somebody couldn’t pay to ensure the care that they need.”

Roos said he and his wife contacted Lacey’s Fund once their veterinarian referred the couple to a specialist for Quincy and after making sure that there was the possibility for good quality of life for the German shepherd after treatment. The Canine Association approved the allocation of the funds almost immediately.

“We were aware that the money was an option for retired dogs, we just never thought that we’d be needing to utilize it at age five,” Roos said.

Since its establishment, the fund has assisted more than a dozen retired police canines. The fund is fully replenished by donations, and the Vermont Police Canine Association has led several fundraising events.

One such fundraiser will be held at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Williston on Jan. 29. Patrons must present their servers with a coupon, which is available on the association’s Facebook page. Ten percent of those patrons’ total food bills will be donated to Lacey’s Fund at the end of the night.

Extending quality of life

Quincy will begin to receive the three-day radiation treatment in Yonkers, N.Y., on Dec. 29.

He will receive radiation treatment called “cyberknife,” which targets radiation closely so it can concentrate on a smaller area, Roos said. This way, the radiation damage will be limited. After three days of radiation in New York, Quincy will undergo chemotherapy at Ryegate Small Animal Hospital.

Roos said that since Quincy’s terminal cancer diagnosis is so rare, it is difficult for doctors to determine life expectancy after treatment.

“Other dogs who have had somewhat similar diagnoses have not lived more than two months,” Roos said of life expectancy after treatment. He later added, “That’s not to say that there haven’t been survivors that have lived for two to three years.”

Roos said he is grateful for the help Lacey’s Fund has given Quincy, as the treatments are expensive and “nobody becomes a police officer to become rich.”

“We’re not going to selfishly extend his life if he’s got a poor quality of life, but if his quality of life is good, then I think we have that obligation,” Roos said. “He didn’t have a say in whether he was going to be a service dog or not, and he served the state for three years.”

Since retiring, Quincy has mainly carried on as his playful, friendly self. Roos said the tumor sometimes still causes Quincy to have a bloody nose, but Quincy does not seem to know he is sick otherwise.

Instead of going to work with Roos as he has for the last three years, Quincy now stays home, “protecting the house,” Roos said.

“He’s a little bit glum when I leave in the morning, and he sulks a little bit, but he’s very excited when I get home,” Roos said. “We still get the play time and we give him as much attention as he can get.”

Contact Elizabeth Murray at 651-4835 or emurray@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LizMurraySMC.