Retired Stearns County K9 Officer Aspen, Legendary Bloodhound Tracker, Passes Away

(KNSI) – A retired Stearns County K9 officer has died.

According to a Facebook post by the sheriff’s office, “With heavy hearts we announce the passing of retired K9 Aspen.” Aspen was part of the only law enforcement Bloodhound team in Minnesota. She was with the department for nine years.

During that time, the natural-born tracker was involved in over 400 cases with her partner and handler, Deputy Eric Shultz. She was part of finding a missing child in St. Stephen in 2012, and her oldest successful track was four days with the Minneapolis Police Department as they searched for a missing University of Minnesota student. In 2018, Aspen was certified through the FBI Response Team for missing persons cases in Virginia.

She retired in early 2021 and had been enjoying the good life with her handler’s family. The SCSO also expresses its sympathies to the Shultz family.

Eight years ago, KNSI News was invited to meet Aspen as she showed off her stuff. In the fall of 2015, the then four-year-old pup was able to easily find KNSI’s Jake Judd as he attempted to hide in the tall grass at River Bluffs Regional Park.

Watch the video story here.