The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the sudden loss of K9 Zero, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois who served alongside Deputy Mason McKinstry in the Patrol Division.
Zero died Saturday night during emergency surgery after what officials described as a medical emergency. He had been with the Sheriff’s Office since January and was cross-trained in both patrol and narcotics detection.
McKinstry declined an interview, but Sgt. Nate Crain — a former K9 handler with 11 years of experience — spoke with The Bee about the significance of the loss…