Richland sheriff’s K9 dies after suffering from suspected seizure

One of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department’s K-9s died unexpectedly on Saturday.

K-9 Tosca, a Belgian Malinois, was taken off a ventilator on Saturday after suffering from a yet-to-be determined illness, said Stephany Snowden, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department.

Tosca’s handler, Deputy Emily Lemmond, found Tosca having what she suspected was a seizure on Friday night, Snowden said. Tosca was rushed to the agency’s veterinarian where life-saving measures were unsuccessful.

Tosca was a full-service patrol dog and had completed extensive training in drug detection, area tracking and suspsect apprehension, among others.

A necropsy will be scheduled to determined the K-9’s death, Snowden said.