USU Police Department retires K9, welcomes new four-legged officer

The Utah State University Police Department welcomed its newest K9 officer, a 2-year-old Belgian malinois, in August. The police dog, Demona, is currently going through weekly training to gain her certification in the state of Utah for explosive detection. 

Demona, known as “Mona” to USUPD, mostly works alongside Officer Micah Talbot, her handler, and Lt. Scott Murray. Talbot and Murray described the selection process as choosing Mona out of five different dogs through a private donor. Throughout the selection process, Talbot and Murray worked alongside Chief of Police Erik Christensen to consider cost, logistics and how the K9 would work with different handlers. 

Mona’s arrival follows shortly after the retirement of Zoomer, one of USUPD’s oldest K9 officers. Zoomer, an 8-year-old English Labrador retriever, worked for USUPD for six years, officially retiring in July. Zoomer will spend retirement as a family dog with his handler, Murray. 

“I will miss bringing him to work each day and at first, he too missed working. Now he just loves retired life and relaxing at home,” Murray said.

USUPD said they found it necessary to replace Zoomer due to an increase in hostility surrounding public events, political figures and higher education. Talbot stated that K9 sweeps and handlers are also important when it comes to keeping people safe at over 20,000 events held annually at USU.

Christensen stated in an interview with The Utah Statesman that Zoomer’s absence has had a large impact on USUPD. Zoomer was the first K9 to work for USUPD and was incredibly intelligent and well-behaved. Most of the training for the K9 program was inspired by Zoomer himself. In his time working for USUPD, Zoomer performed nearly 150 pre-event sweeps. According to Christensen, Zoomer was not only an excellent officer, but also a good friend to everyone at USUPD. 

“I think we have to really emphasize that these K9s are living creatures with beautiful souls who give their entire lives in service of our university’s public safety mission. It is very emotional to me and to the K9 handlers when we speak of these dogs. They aren’t just a piece of equipment. They’re alive — they’re in there. They have good days and bad days,” said Christensen. 

Christensen has worked for USU for 11 years and is a USU graduate himself. He has a deep passion for the university and the roles that the police have to make sure everyone feels safe and welcome. Christensen said that he, and the rest of his team, are excited for the arrival of Mona and what the future holds for the K9 staff. 

“I love dogs, and I see them as part of our family. Each one has their own personality, and it’s always such a joy to see their little idiosyncrasies and quirks as they develop. It’s also heartbreaking when they leave us, but that’s because we love them and care about them so much. They give their entire lives to us, and that really matters to me, to our K9 handlers and to our department,” Christensen said.

USUPD is the only department in Cache Valley with Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) K9’s, so Mona will play a crucial role within the department. Christensen said that although the puppy has only been at the department for a couple of weeks, she has already started to build a home there. 

“Mona has adjusted great. Both her and I have been getting used to being partners with USUPD,” Talbot said. 

Talbot said that he has worked in law enforcement for over 27 years and this is his second year with USUPD. He is the one responsible for giving the new K9 her nickname, Mona.

As Mona begins her training and settles into her new role, she will eventually take on the responsibilities that Zoomer laid out for her.

Christensen said one of the hardest parts of retiring a K9 is the years of life they take with them when they leave. He referenced writer John Galsworthy, who wrote, “Not the least hard thing to bear when they go from us, these quiet friends, is that they carry away with them so many years of our own lives.”

For USUPD, Zoomer was more than a K9 officer. He was a constant companion to his handler, a familiar presence on campus and a trusted part of the department. After six years of service, Zoomer leaves behind a lasting legacy as USUPD welcomes Mona into the K9 program.

“To us, he’s that constant companion to his handler in all weathers and times of day, a constant presence that has kept our campus safe, and overall, just a really, really, exceptionally good boy,” Christensen said.