Larry, a Korean scent evidence canine with six years of experience, died of a snakebite while searching for a missing person. According to Daegu police the male German Shepherd was searching for a 50-year-old missing man in the hills on July 23, 2018 when he was bitten on the back of the left hind foot by a poisonous snake. Larry was taken to a veterinarian’s office at 11:20 am. However, after suffering severe pain through the night, he passed in the early morning hours of the next day.

Larry was first posted with the Daegu police in August of 2012 when he was one and a half years of age. In the six years since he worked on 39 violent crime cases and 171 missing persons cases, where he distinguished himself with his service record.

In May of 2017, in particular, Larry was responsible for discovering the buried remains of a murdered 43-year-old woman. She might never have been found otherwise in her place of burial 30m off the hiking trail, as her husband, who was a prime suspect, had taken his own life after calling her in as a missing person.

In consideration of Larry’s contributions and service, the Daegu police cremated him in a funeral home specializing in companion animals and gave his ashes an arboreal burial. The canine handlers who had loved him were also in attendance at the solemn ceremony.

Officer Ahn Seong-heon, 33, who worked as Larry’s handler, said of the death: “Larry did nothing but good in his life before he passed from a truly unfortunate accident. I hope he rests easy now in a better place.” 

To honor Larry, Daegu police will have a bronze plaque with his picture
and achievements hung at the entrance to the Crime Scenes Investigation
unit. Larry’s death, which came at only half a German Shepherd’s life expectancy, marks the first fatality among the 16 scent evidence canines placed in 2012 at local police precincts across Korea.