Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
LARGO, Fla. - The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is mourning the loss of K9 Logan, a dedicated police dog who died earlier this week following a sudden cancer diagnosis.
Pinellas deputies honor beloved K9
Big picture view:
K9 Logan suddenly became very unwell over the weekend and was diagnosed with cancer, according to PCSO. He passed away earlier this week surrounded by his handler, Deputy Tony LoRusso, the entire PCSO K9 Unit and additional K9 handlers from other agencies.
K9 Logan was named after LoRusso's favorite Marvel character, Wolverine, and the sheriff's office said he lived up to his name through his dedication, determination and work ethic.
Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
K9 Logan's crime-fighting career
The backstory:
The dog was selected for law enforcement work at just 10 months old. Pinellas County deputies said K9 Logan began working with its K9 Unit in 2018 and added narcotics detection to his abilities in 2019.
Together, LoRusso and K9 Logan pioneered the use of laser-pointer directional cues and team-integrated building searches for the unit. PCSO said this was particularly useful in a 2022 case where suspects ran off from a stolen vehicle and hid in a home.
Competitive K9 achievements
By the numbers:
Officials said K9 Logan was also an accomplished competitor, earning 16th overall at the 2025 USPCA National Championships. He also helped his four-man team take second place at both Regional 1 and Nationals.
Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
Arrest in final week
Dig deeper:
The agency even said K9 Logan was even hard at work in his final week. He located a felony warrant suspect out of Georgia and helped uncover cocaine and methamphetamine in a separate felony drug investigation.
Pinellas K9 unit grieving
What they're saying:
Outside of work, K9 Logan was known for his social personality, his love of community demonstrations and his habit of leaning against people for a good rub down his side. PCSO said he was known at home for enjoying endless games of fetch, pup cups and time with his family.
"Our condolences go out to Deputy LoRusso, his family, and his K-9 family," PCSO officials said in a social media post announcing his passing. "Rest easy, Logan. We’ve got the watch from here. Your tenacity and heart will stay with this unit always."
K9 Logan was LoRusso's third and final K9 partner, according to their sheriff's office.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, which announced K9 Logan's death and career achievements in a post on social media.