Retired patrol dog never quit working

JIM CARLILE, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Thursday, February 21, 2002

THURSTON COUNTY -- Zorro, a retired patrol dog with the Thurston County Sheriff's Office, died Monday.

The 15-year-old patrol and drug dog worked from 1991 to 1997 under the care of sheriff's Deputy Tom Cole. Zorro was the only state-accredited drug dog the county has ever had, Cole said.

Cole was Zorro's handler, partner and owner until Monday, when he was put to sleep. Zorro, a Dutch shepherd, was cremated, and Cole's family will keep his remains.

"He was my partner. He rode my shift with me," Cole said.

Zorro was used to track fleeing suspects and pinpoint drugs, among other things.

Cole's wife, Ronna, said she was scared of Zorro when he first moved in with them about 10 years ago.

"He was intimidating-looking. When he came home at the end of the day, he was very much a working dog and was focused on Tom," she said.

"He was very loving and very loyal to Tom, of course, but he would tolerate the rest of the family. As time went on, he was much more loving toward the rest of us."

At first, the dog wouldn't listen to her, Ronna said.

"I could make him do little things like get his nose off the table and stop eating our food, but I didn't have any authority over him."

After Zorro retired, it didn't take long for him to acclimate to being the family pet, she said.

The kids devised games they could play with the dog.

"We'd play hide-and-seek with our keys," she said. "We would throw the keys out in the lawn and keep him turned around so he couldn't see where they went. When we let him go, he'd instantaneously find them."

His K-9 impulses didn't fade after he retired, though. Anyone who might trek through the Coles' back yard in Olympia was in for a surprise -- even if the family knew they were coming. One time Zorro nipped the man who was there to mow their lawn.

The Coles' children, Jennifer, 8, and Mikey, 4, also loved Zorro.

"The day we had to put him down, both kids were in the yard bawling and hugging him," she said. Zorro was getting too old to walk when they had to put him to sleep.

Zorro's death was particularly hard on Tom, according to his wife.

"I've had pets that I've truly loved in my life, but the bond with someone you work with on a daily basis, even though he's an animal, is strong," she said.

"They went through some really bad situations together. I can see how truly hurt he is about this. It's truly a strong bond."

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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