Officer Hampton of the Longmont Police Department’s dream was becoming a K9 handler. After five years on the force and two attempts to join the unit, he finally found the partner he had been waiting for: K9 Bear. Every deployment depends on a dog’s ability to confidently navigate the world around them, so when Officer Hampton noticed something wrong with his partner Bear’s eye, he thought he had been injured on the job. Instead, the diagnosis was something many working dog handlers never see coming: Pannus.
Meet the Team
An inseparable team on and off duty, Officer Hampton and K9 Bear have been partners for four years with the Longmont Police Department. Together, they serve their community as a highly skilled police K9 team specializing in narcotics detection, tracking, apprehension work, and SWAT operations.
A Dog with Many Jobs
K9 Bear isn’t just your standard German Shepherd Dog. He's a highly skilled, dual purpose police K9, trained in criminal apprehension, narcotics detection, and is also a SWAT entry dog, assisting in building searches.
“We have 250 deployments in the 3.5 years we've been together and probably 200 of those are narcotics,” says Officer Hamption. But Bear’s skills don’t stop there. “We can also track human odor. He helps search for evidence. Anything with human odor on it, he can detect.”
Last year, K9 Bear successfully located a cell phone used during a robbery. With an entire square mile to search, his training and skills were put to the test, and they paid off.
Navigating a Pannus Diagnosis
For working police K9s, a good nose isn’t the only tool they need: eyesight is also critical. When Bear was 4 and a half years old, Officer Hampton noticed something wasn’t quite right with his eye and thought he was injured on the job.
After veterinary evaluation, Officer Hamption learned Bear had developed the autoimmune condition known as Pannus.
Pannus is an eye condition that affects the cornea, and is known to be worsened by exposure to UV rays. If left untreated, it can eventually scar the eye, causing serious vision impairment or blindness. This disease can be commonly seen in German Shepherd Dogs, like K9 Bear.
Like many handlers, Officer Hampton immediately worried about Bear’s future ability to work. Thanks to early intervention, treatment, and preventative protection from UV exposure, Bear continues to work at a high level with no vision loss. He still deploys and serves alongside Officer Hampton every day.
When on the job and in the sunshine off duty, K9 Bear wears Rex Specs Dog Goggles as a preventative measure. All Rex Specs lenses are UV400 rated, meaning they protect from 99.9% of UVA and UVB rays, exactly the ones that exacerbate Pannus.
“Start with preventative measures early!” says Officer Hampton. “UV shades on their kennels at home and goggles for any dog who is at high risk.” He also encourages dog owners to take advantage of eye care that is available to them, like utilizing the annual eye clinic offered by Colorado State University.
More Than a Working Dog
Despite Bear’s diagnosis, his intense job description, and hundreds of deployments under his collar, Officer Hampton says the side most people don’t see is his favorite.
While Bear may look intimidating in uniform, Officer Hampton hopes people understand who he really is underneath the tactical gear. “Every time I get him out into the public, I just want everyone to know he’s a big goofball,” he says. “There’s not an aggressive bone in his body. He really is the best boy.”
“Honestly, he just likes lounging in the shade,” he shares. Outside of work, Bear is calm, goofy, and completely relaxed. He has a favorite shady spot beneath a tree in the yard that he claims as his own, and loves to play with one of Officer Hampton’s smaller pet dogs, a Malinois/Shepherd mix.
The balance between being a high-drive working dog and a lovable companion is part of what makes their partnership so special, especially after receiving a diagnosis that could have changed everything.
“There's something special about having a partner with you all the time,” says Officer Hampton. “And it's not even about getting the deployments, it's about watching him succeed and that teamwork together. Figuring out how to speak to the dog without speaking. When you succeed in communicating something to them and they can't speak back, it's incredible. And when it keeps people safe on the street, it's even better.”
The Mission Continues
For working dogs like Bear, protection is more than performance; it’s longevity. With early prevention, veterinary care and the right gear, dogs diagnosed with Pannus can continue doing the jobs they love for years to come. For K9 Bear and Officer Hampton, the mission is far from over.