Cliff, the retired canine deputy with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, died in early March.
Cliff was a 15-year old German shepherd. He was acquired from Czechoslovakia in 2002 and assigned at that time to his permanent handler, Lieutenant Christopher Bourke. He was a criminal apprehension dog and his specialty was narcotic drug detection. During his tenure he participated in hundreds of narcotics investigations, executions of search warrants, and arrests. He also provided assistance to numerous federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies throughout western New York and the Province of Ontario, Canada.
Cliff faithfully served the citizens of Orleans County for nine years until his retirement in 2011. Following retirement, he continued to reside with his handler, Lieutenant Bourke, according to Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess.
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