YOUNGSTOWN For Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI) Agent Kim Nusser, having the right partner the last 10 years has been a blessing but one that has now turned bittersweet.

Nusser's canine partner, Special K-9 Agent Dino, lost a brief battle with lung cancer Nov. 9, but not without displaying the same type of courage, dedication and loyalty to duty he had shown throughout his career.

It was Nusser's intention to retire Dino early in 2010 and begin the process of training another dog.

"I wanted him to enjoy life as a dog for the rest of his days," he said.

But that was not to be.

About a month ago, Dino developed a cough which worsened, producing some blood, and a veterinarian advised inflammation in his lungs could be pneumonia or cancer.

The only definitive way to determine if he had cancer was to send Dino to Akron or Ohio State University where he would be anesthetized and a biopsy performed.

The alternative was to administer heavy doses of an antibiotic to see if he responded.

Not believing his beloved friend and partner could have cancer, Nusser opted to treat him for an infection, but on Oct. 20 a return trip to the veterinarian showed Dino's lungs had become worse, and cancer was diagnosed.

Receiving the prognosis was heart-wrenching for Nusser: Dino had as little as two weeks or possibly as long as two months to live.

The cancer spread quickly through the 11-year-old Belgian malinois (mal-i-nwah), and Nusser was saddened to see his partner suffering the ravages of the disease with labored breathing, loss of eyesight and tiring easily.

Until his death, however, Dino was doing his job, aided by heavy doses of a steroid Nusser said seemed to help.

He took Dino to work every day, saying, "That's where he was the happiest. We could play, and he even did a couple searches."

As the disease took its heavy toll, the decision was made to end the K-9 officer's suffering and he was humanely euthanized.

Unfortunately, Dino's partner and friend was unable to be with him at the end, because Nusser was also hospitalized at the time, fighting his own battle.

His daughter and co-workers stepped in and lovingly stayed with Dino until the end, keeping in constant contact with Nusser, who credited the staff at East Liverpool City Hospital, his co-workers and family for not only taking care of his partner but arranging for Dino to visit him in his hospital room.

"It seemed everyone knew my story and expressed their sympathy," he said.

Even though he is gone, Dino's memory and accomplishments remain.

Attorney General Richard Cordray said, "Dino was a valued member of our staff at the (BCI). (The agency) is dedicated to providing assistance to local law enforcement agencies, and Dino was a hard worker to that end. We are committed to bringing another canine agent on board to continue the work Dino did with Agent Nusser, but it's accurate to say that Dino can never truly be replaced."

The pair had a stellar 10-year career in law enforcement, and over that period, "Nusser and K-9 Dino were tireless in their efforts to divert drugs from the streets of the Northeast Region. K-9 Dino was a hard worker and loved his job and partner," according to one BCI official.

Nusser worked 12 years as a police officer for Liverpool and St. Clair townships and the city of East Liverpool before being hired in 1996 by the BCI.

After he worked several years with undercover narcotics in the northeastern part of Ohio, BCI decided to bring in a drug detection dog. The BCI had been a front runner in the use of detection dogs in the state since the early 1970s, according to Nusser, who said the agency wanted to maintain a dog in each region to assist federal, state and local law enforcement.

The partnership between Nusser and Dino began in February 1999 with the purchase of the 1-year-old dog from Castle K-9 in Pennsylvania. Dino had been imported from Holland and was pre-trained in scent detection and obedience by William Castle, a master trainer with the North American Police Working Dog Association.

Nusser said that, due to Dino's small size, it was determined he was best suited for detection work instead of patrol, even though he had undergone that type of training in Holland.

"He loved to do bite work. I found this out the hard way when an officer from Harrisburg was walking across the training field in a bite suit and Dino postured then ran after the 'decoy,' biting the padded suit," Nusser recalled.

The partners' training lasted four weeks and covered bonding, search patterns, legalities, scent detection, canine behavior and first aid.

Dino proved to be an aggressive alert dog, scratching and barking at the scent of marijuana, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, Ecstasy or other derivatives, but on his off time, he had to learn to be just a family pet.

"On weekends, I would drive Dino five hours home and began introducing him to my family and other pets, which consisted of my wife, 8-year-old daughter and two other dogs," Nusser said.

Before leaving Castle K-9, the pair was certified as a drug detection team with the North American Police Working Dog Association, required by BCI and renewed annually.

The state of Ohio also required the team to certify with the Ohio Police Officers Training Academy, and both certifications consist of pass/fail for detection of all narcotics odors in rooms, cars, lockers and open areas, with the handler required to be able to read his canine's alerts.

Upon certification, Nusser and Dino began working in the Northeastern Ohio area, assigned to the Youngstown DEA Task Force, traveling to postal, shipping and freight facilities for searches while also supporting local law enforcement agencies on vehicle stops and search warrants.

"Our successes were very high out of the gate, and Dino won the admiration of our colleagues at BCI, DEA and many of the local drug task forces from the lake to the river," Nusser said.

It was a learning experience and one that required constant training, Nusser said, so he sought assistance from a trainer and group of handlers from Boardman, Youngstown, Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Trumbull County Sheriff's Department who allowed the team to train with them.

"We began to fine tune Dino to the point he was almost on auto-pilot," Nusser said, adding they attended every training seminar available, schooling on a weekly, and sometimes daily, basis.

Dino went to work with his partner every day since they teamed up, riding in a specially-equipped vehicle with dual air conditioners and temperature monitors.

Meanwhile, Nusser became a state evaluator and began certifying other dog teams.

So impressed with Dino's abilities and seizures that turned into major cases, the resident agent in charge at DEA Youngstown arranged in 2002 to send the K-9 team to El Paso, Texas where they underwent bulk drug training through U.S. Customs and the border patrol, working shifts alongside U.S. Customs dog teams at truck and car ports of entry on the United States-Mexican border.

"Dino flew at my feet on a commercial airliner. I had no idea how he would react aboard a jetliner or how passengers would react to him, even though we had sniffed a few on the ground," Nusser recalled.

"Before we deplaned in Houston, the first leg of the trip, passengers and crew were stopping to greet him, and I was giving them his baseball card," he said.

Dino searched and found drugs in nearly every possible venue, including cars, planes, trains and buses. At one point, he was even part of a unit consisting of 14 dog teams which searched a Russian freighter on the Great Lakes thought to be carrying cocaine.

Although consummate professionals on the job, the rapport, friendship and even love between this pair was evident at every search scene, with Dino quivering in anticipation of each "good boy" from his partner and Nusser smiling ear to ear as he threw his four-legged friend a toy as a reward for his hard work.

Dino sometimes turned the tables on his human companion and got a good laugh, like the time he left Nusser standing on the side of the road showing off his underwear.

When they first paired up, Nusser said he was always looking for new places to train and new environments in which to hide drugs for Dino to seek out.

He was given permission to hide drugs in the Glenmoor fire station and Dino was successful in finding them.

As always, Dino awaited his rolled-up towel as a reward, and Nusser pretended to throw it, prompting Dino to run off and start sniffing around a car parked out front.

Without thinking, Nusser stuck the towel in his back pocket and proudly began answering questions about his partner as Dino continued to work.

"Little did I know that the dog saw me put the towel in my rear pocket. He lunged for the towel, biting it, at the same time getting hold of my pants, which he promptly ripped off, exposing my tightie whiteys on state Route 267. There I stood in front of a half-dozen laughing firemen on a state highway in my underwear with my dog expecting a 'good boy' for finding his toy, a toy that had my pants attached," Nusser smiled.

Looking back on the last decade, Nusser said, "I have truly been blessed. I have had an outstanding career in law enforcement and, without question, the portion working with a dog has been the best part. Dino was truly an outstanding partner. He did all that I asked of him and more."

A memorial is being planned for Special Agent Dino by the Attorney General's office.

jgilbert@mojonews.com