K-9 Baron Day

By proclamation of the St Johns Board of County Commissioners, today, October 21st, was designated as “K-9 Baron Day”. Deputy Sheriff Farrah Ashe, Baron’s handler, accepted the proclamation during the regular business meeting at the St Johns County Auditorium.

Vice Chairman Rachael Bennett made the presentation to Ashe, who spoke briefly about the loss of her canine partner; a German shepherd trained and certified for patrol duties that included apprehension, building, area and article searches, explosives detection, tracking, and handler protection.

K-9 Bodie, Ashe’s former partner, was retired from service and now lives with her. Ashe says both dogs were friendly and only showed aggressive behavior when instructed. Baron was a new addition to the St Johns County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit, but Ashe says she became immediately attached.

Baron went into service in May of 2013 and died in the line of duty while attempting to apprehend Brandon Bernard Allison on October 7, 2014. A local veterinarian told law enforcement that the cause of death was asphyxia. Allison has been charged with drowning the shepherd in a pool of water near the site where Baron engaged him.