BY STACIE LETT CAIN

What was originally scheduled as a celebration of retirement for two very deserving Mooresville Police Department K9s instead became an emotional memorial ceremony for K9 Kato, who died on Friday after a battle with cancer.

Kato, one of the two K9 officers that had earned his retirement this year, was a Belgian malinois who began his service to the town in 2020. Unfortunately, he earned his wings before he was able to walk down the aisle to celebrate his hard work for the Town of Mooresville.

“K9 Kato left us Friday,” Police Chief Ron Campurciani said during an event held on the lawn of Mooresville Town Hall on Monday afternoon. Surrounded by police vehicles with lights flashing and a sea of police officers from all over Iredell County, the chief announced Kato’s passing, his voice breaking.

“The corporal knows how much we love him and his dog. Unless you know and understand the time and effort involved and how these animals become a part of your family, you just don’t understand the effects that this has on not only them, but on our department and everyone that is touched by them,” Campurciani said.

Kato’s handler, Officer James Ramey, walked down a tunnel of his fellow law enforcement officers to receive a plaque and a hug from Mayor Chris Carney and other city leaders.

K9 Ramon and his handler, Cpl. J. Sage, also walked through the tunnel to accept a plaque from the mayor and a thank you from a grateful town for his service.

Ramon, a Belgian malinois who joined the MPD in 2018, was originally assigned to work with Officer Jordan Sheldon. He was working with Sheldon on May 4, 2019, the night he was killed in the line of duty

“I came to this city after Officer Sheldon was murdered,” Campurciani explained. “I didn’t immediately watch the body cam footage because it wasn’t in my purview to do it. But I eventually did and wasn’t prepared for what I saw. I wasn’t prepared to see Ramon and the anxiety and the crying, barking and scratching of Ramon trying to get to Officer Sheldon when he went down. I was absolutely not prepared for that and it has stayed with me every since that day.”

Continuing to explain the connection between the officers and their K9’s, Campurciani said that losing a pet is painful enough. But losing a partner, an animal they spend 24 hours a day working, training and living with, takes that loss and multiplies it by 1,000.

“One thing we know about these creatures is that they don’t stay with us long enough,” the chief said. “If you have a dog, you understand. Dogs are a big part of our lives, but we are their whole life. So think about a K9 officer and how they never have that separation. They go with them to work, they go home at night, they train on their off times. It is so much more of a loss for them.”

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