GENOA TWP., OH (WCMH) — Retired Genoa Township Police Department K9 Gandolf died suddenly Friday night, the department announced. 

Gandolf retired in May after his career was derailed by a life-threatening illness.

He was an intense, high-energy dog until he suffered a serious intestinal condition that required surgery in 2014. Police Chief Steve Gammill said the veterinarian called the dog’s survival “a miracle.”

“When we asked the vet for a prognosis, she said ‘we don’t know, we’ve never seen another dog survive this surgery,’” Gamill said.

Gandolf did survive the surgery but was never quite the same.

He lived with his handler, Off. Jason Berner, and his family until he died.

“Gandolf was born to love, trained to serve, loyal to the end, and the best partner ever to Off. Berner-he will always be remembered,” Gammill wrote on Facebook.