K9 Viper: Morristown police dog dies

During this time, Viper developed an amazing bond with Luneau, now the department’s chief of police, that showed extreme loyalty and unconditional love.

Viper was a protector, friend and a valuable part of the Morristown Police Department team for eight years. He was well known throughout the community of Morristown and beyond. During his career, he kept busy with numerous types of calls ranging from lost people, searching buildings, narcotics detection and protecting numerous police officers from potential combative individuals, who ended up not being so combative once they knew K9 Viper was on scene.

During Viper’s career, he was awarded the Vermont Police Canine Committee Life Saving Award in 2014 following a successful track of a lost mother and daughter on Christmas Eve in Wolcott. Due to this successful track, Viper and Luneau were invited to Fenway Park in 2015 for law enforcement appreciation night where they were recognized on the field for their work.

In 2017, Viper was awarded the Vermont Police Canine Committee’s Apprehension of the Year award. This was for Viper’s work in tracking two individuals who eluded police in Chittenden County before running off into the woods in Stowe. Due to Viper’s tracking skills, these two individuals were taken into custody after Viper tracked them nearly three miles from Stowe, up over the mountain to Underhill.

His family would like to recognize canine training coordinator Robert “Bobby” Ryan for all his guidance over the years in training Viper and Chief Luneau, and the in-service instructors — Dave Dewey, Trent Martin and Mike Glodgett — who played a pivotal role in keeping Viper’s skills sharp every month.

K9 Viper will be missed by many, but his kind-hearted personality and his love of being a K9 will be remembered for years to come.