‘From a small abandoned puppy to a hero’: Storied life of K-9 celebrated after she dies from ingesting toxic substance

(Gray News) – A K-9 who was involved in more than 100 missions in the state of Virginia died Sept. 20 after she came into contact with a toxic substance while searching for a missing person.

According to GARD K9 Search and Rescue, K-9 Madison “Maddy” came into contact with the substance on Sept. 16 and spent four days fighting for her life.

Ultimately, she lost that battle and “crossed the rainbow bridge with her family at her side.”

Maddy’s handler Andrew Piske said she lived a storied life.

In 2013, the Piske family was contacted by Southeast German Shepherd Rescue about a high energy puppy found abandoned in a Kentucky cemetery.

The dog needed to be fostered and so she was taken to Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Piskes drove to her location to evaluate her before deciding to bring her home.

Maddy was deemed a good fit for search and rescue operations and quickly became a K-9 officer, working together with handler Andrew Piske as a certified team.

For eight-and-a-half years, the two responded to over 100 missions with law enforcement across 50 counties and localities in the state of Virginia.

Piske and Maddy also traveled to Florida in 2018 to work with emergency responders after the region was hit by Hurricane Michael.

Officials said Maddy’s search efforts helped officers find numerous victims, crime scenes and weapons which led to court testimonies and aided in convictions.

Maddy helped lead authorities to a person who was in critical condition deep in the woods in one particular case, resulting in their life being saved.

“From a small abandoned puppy to a hero,” GARD K9 Search and Rescue wrote in a Facebook post. “We will miss you K9 Maddy, thank you for your life of service to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Virginia SAR Program.”

Maddy’s last mission was in cooperation with the the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office, which posted its condolences in a Facebook post.

Donations to help Piske with Maddy’s final medical bills can be made through a GoFundMe account.

“As Andrew and Maddie are both volunteers, her loss will also be the financial responsibility of Andrew. We are hoping to assist in that matter by asking that our community supports them as they have supported us,” Laramie Shreve with the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office said in a post.

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