‘Part of my identity is gone’

Like many law enforcement officers, Sky often started her shift by donning a ballistic vest. She got in her car and patrolled Clarke County, answering calls for service and keeping the community safe.

Over the years, Sky assisted countless local, state and federal agencies, helped keep her partner out of danger and took pounds of narcotics off the streets.

After almost eight years of service to the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, the Belgian malinois’ watch has ended after passing from a sudden illness on Feb. 12.

“I feel like part of my identity is gone,” Chief Deputy Brian Akers said. “Having to erase her from my professional life, like I had to take the graphics off my car that said K-9. I’ve got new patches ordered for my vest that don’t say K-9 on them. I’m going to power on because that’s what we do, but I just feel like part of me is gone.”

Sky became Akers’ K-9 in April 2018 after a five-week training course in Chariton. Sky was dual-trained in detection and as a bite dog.

“She loved to do bite work,” Akers said. “She lived for it, but she never got to bite a real person, which is a good thing. If we can generate voluntary compliance and not hurt people, that’s our main goal.”

One of Sky’s major accomplishments was an operation in Kellerton where she tracked down several people who were wanted for a murder in Kansas City.

Whether it be a pursuit, an individual wanting to fight law enforcement or any other tense situation, just the mention of Sky’s presence had suspects voluntarily giving themselves up.

“She saved me a lot of fights and a lot of running,” Akers said.

While on the clock, Sky wanted to be right by Akers’ side. She was an intelligent dog, always paying attention to body language and analyzing the present situation.

Akers was often complimented by other officers on Sky’s skills and temperament.

Off duty

Though Sky was a talented K-9 who loved her work, she was also a pet. Akers said it was like flipping a light switch the minute she finished her shift.

“As soon as she got in the house, she’d go get a drink and lay down, and she was on her back with her feet up in the air, her head hanging over the back of the couch with her tongue hanging out,” he said fondly. “I don’t know how that dog did it because with some dogs it’s not like that.”

One of the most painful parts of losing his best friend was explaining her passing to his daughters. His 3-year old knows that Sky is in heaven now. But his 8-year-old struggles with why it was Sky’s time to go.

Akers said Sky was protective over his girls.

“She was great around my babies. She never harmed them,” he said. “I could leave them in the backyard with Sky. Nobody would have ever tried anything on my kids.”

Having a dog who could be a family dog was important to Akers when he received Sky, his first K-9. She lived in the house, sleeping freely out of a kennel.

Sky was more than your normal K-9. She attended community events like D.A.R.E. graduations and the Osceola Fire Fair. In recent years, Akers let the kids pet Sky, an uncommon ability for trained bite dogs. But Sky was different.

End of watch

In late January, Sky was at work, keeping drugs off the streets. By early February, she was sick — vomiting and eventually limping.

After much testing by veterinarians, it was determined Sky’s intestines had shut down for an unknown reason. After just a few days, Sky’s condition had severely deteriorated, and she ultimately passed away.

He wishes he would have been with her in her last moments but finds peace that she wasn’t alone. She also did him one final kindness, passing on her own to save him from having to make a tough decision.

“She didn’t owe me anything. She didn’t owe anybody anything,” he said. “Every accolade Sky has, everything she did, the only thing I did in all of that is open the door. I got her out, she did the rest.”

With his duties as chief deputy, Akers is retiring his title as K-9 handler, at least for now, knowing he can’t dedicate the necessary time to it.

More than just the hole in his professional life, Akers still feels that absence deeply at home as well. He looks forward to the days he won’t hurt as badly watching the backyard devoid of his best friend chasing the squirrels.