TOLLAND, CT — Connecticut Friday was mourning the loss of celebrated and respected state police dog Drago.

Drago worked with veteran trooper and handler Kyle Kaelberer while stationed out of Troop C in Tolland County. The black shepherd had a distinctive floppy ear, which made him very photogenic and popular with children at promotional events.

State police said he died on July 4 from “medical complications.” He had battled stomach ailments in the past.

Kaelberer and Drago were graduates of the Connecticut State Police 201st Patrol K-9 Class, as well as the 219th Narcotics Detection K-9 Class. They also served together as “highly respected” members of the State Police Tactical Unit, state police said.

“The Connecticut State Police regrets to announce the passing of K-9 Drago. During his career, Drago successfully located countless wanted suspects, missing persons, as well as a large quantity of illicit narcotics,” state police said. “K-9 Drago was a beloved member of Troop C, and made an immeasurable impact on the safety of the citizens of Tolland County, the State of Connecticut, and the Connecticut State Police as a whole.”

Drago certainly had his successes.

For example, just this past January, he and Kaelberer nabbed a suspect in a murder “intent” case out of Massachusetts. The Webster Police Department in Massachusetts contacted Connecticut State Police about a vehicle they had attempted to stop in their town that had eventually crashed at exit 53 on Interstate 395 in the town of Thompson in Connecticut.

The driver fled on foot after the crash, and Drago and Kaelberer were called in to assist. They began a track in a thickly wooded area and Drago located the suspect, who was taken into custody after a brief struggle, state police said. It was later determined that the suspect had not only engaged the Webster Police in a pursuit, but in a stolen vehicle.

The suspect also had a nationwide extraditable warrant for assault with intent to murder and numerous firearm charges out of Worcester, MA, police said.

In October 2023, a 50-year-old Iowa man who eluded authorities for about 12 hours after crashing a car on Interstate 84 in Tolland was eventually corralled by Drago.

The man was in a stolen 2010 Infinity EX35, traveling west on I-84, about a half mile shy of Exit 68. He suddenly lost control of the vehicle and slammed into the center median, according to a crash report. The car was bearing registration plates out of North Carolina, state police said.

The man fled the vehicle on foot after the crash and crossed the eastbound lanes of I-84 in the process, according to a crash report. State police then set up a perimeter in the area and police dog Drago was called in to track him. Drago located and detained him in a wooded area.

In August 2022, a driver told Kaelberer that “your dog is wrong,” after Drago altered him to the presence of drugs at a traffic stop on I-84 in Tolland.

Drago, of course, was not wrong and troopers located 14 grams of fentanyl and 1.5 grams of crack cocaine in a subsequent search, according to an arrest report.

In February 2021, Troop C received 911 calls about people attempting to steal vehicles in the area of Kozley Road and Williams Way in Tolland. The second caller had interrupted the burglary in his garage and the would-be thief pulled out a gun as he approached the group, according to an arrest report.

The man was able to get a description of the getaway car before the men fled the property, which wound up being a stolen Acura RDX out of Newington, according to an arrest report.

Kaelberer saw the Acura traveling south on Old Stafford Road in Tolland, and, as he and Drago turned around to follow the vehicle, which was traveling at a high rate of speed through the intersection of Old Stafford and Dunn Hill roads and then south onto Tolland Green, the car slammed head-on into another state police cruiser, which was headed north with its lights activated, according to a state police report.

Five people exited the Acura and then fled on foot, state police said. Kaelberer and Drago, chased the 19-year-old driver on foot, and he was apprehended by Drago and was arrested at the scene.