Koda-Fome

After Koda escaped from his kennel, he chewed through the dog food stored in the sheriff's department patrol car. Then he started in on the seats. Apparently, deputies say, he choked on the foam.

The 2-year-old Belgian malinois died on Monday, just a few months after joining Deschutes County deputies as a patrol dog.

The department concluded that the deputy who was Koda's handler was not negligent. The department did not identify him.

"He's pretty devastated," Capt. Tim Edwards said Wednesday in announcing Koda's death. Grief counseling was made available to the officer, Edwards said.

Edwards said he's not sure why Koda ate the car seats, but it could have been boredom.