Former Middlebury police canine dies

Posted on June 17, 2010 |

• Vergennes

By John Flowers

VERGENNES — Vergennes Police Chief George Merkel this week was mourning the loss of his first police dog, Blade, who had to be euthanized due to rapidly failing health brought on by degenerative myelopathy.

German shepherds, as was Blade, are particularly susceptible to degenerative myelopathy, a progressive disease in the spinal cord in older dogs, Merkel said. It typically begins with the loss of coordination in the hind limbs and often progresses to paralysis.

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