Courtesy Photo The Michigan State Police K-9 Memorial stands in front of the Fallen Trooper Memorial on the lawn of MSP Training Academy in Dimondale. Former MSP-Alpena Post K-9 trooper Bane is among six names on the memorial, which honors police dogs who have died in the line of duty.

ALPENA — Michigan State Police Sergeant Jamie Bullis started his career with the MSP Canine Unit in 2006. Every trooper picks their own dog before training and Bullis knew exactly which dog he wanted.

“I remember I was hoping the guy in front of me in line wasn’t going to choose Bane,” Bullis said. “Because I knew that’s the dog I wanted. I just knew. We train our own dogs. We don’t buy the dogs pre-trained, so the owners spend over 10 hours each day training them to be a tool to protect human life.

“You think you know everything about dogs when you go into basic school,” he added with a chuckle. “But you really don’t.”

Bane, a German Shepherd, served with Bullis as a K-9 officer until November 2010, when he went missing while on duty with Bullis in Presque Isle County.

He was ultimately shot, becoming the second K-9 trooper in Michigan to lose his life in the line of duty.

Bane’s service and sacrifice was honored last week when the Michigan State Police unveiled a memorial in Dimondale dedicated to the police dogs who died in the line of duty since 1998. Bullis attended a ceremony for the unveiling, which also honored fallen K-9s, Eli, Aiko, Max, Rex, and Beck.

The K-9 memorial sits beside the Fallen Trooper Memorial on the lawn of the MSP Training Academy.

“What’s cool is that when we own these dogs, we always have them in front of us,” Bullis said. “They’re meant to protect us from bad guys and the canine memorial is actually in front of the trooper memorial. It’s meant to show they sacrificed their lives to protect their owners, human life.

“I love my dogs,” he added. “When you’re with them every working hour of the day, it’s tough to lose them. The department did a great job with everything.”

By 2008, Bane the K-9 trooper and Bullis graduated basic training together. On that day of celebration, they both reported for duty at the MSP-Alpena Post.

Bullis recalled days of talking with Bane and talking with him about work that needed to be done. For him, it was nice because Bane was the ‘silent partner’ and always agreed with what was going on, no matter what.

After all, he was a dog.

“He was always right over my right shoulder as I worked at my desk,” Bullis added. “His snout was always peeking out of the kennel and he was just looking at me, wondering when he’d go out to work.”

For canine units, work is play. Bullis trained his dog to detect narcotic and human odors. Bane was also certified in building search, evidence search, controlled aggression, tracking and area search.

Once Bane picked up a scent and led his owner to the correct area, the canine was given treats and positive reinforcement.

Bullis said when he was happy, the dog was happy.

Around August 2010, an Alzheimer’s patient went missing in Presque Isle County. The canine team helped search for the patient, but after a few days, the trail went cold. It wasn’t until November 2010 that someone found the shirt of the missing man.

Bullis said when he and Bane went to search the area, the shirt was in a swampy area with tall foliage that made it difficult to see far ahead.

As Bullis and Bane searched, the officer said a small deer popped out in front of the canine, about six inches away.

Bullis and Bane then became separated.

“He headed right away into the thick grass,” Bullis said. “I’m not sure if his hunting instincts were just too strong, because when they get like that any canine owner knows it’s hard to stop them, or he just couldn’t hear me calling out for him. I mean, the swamp was so thick you could barely see anything in front of you.”

Bullis searched for Bane and was soon joined by other troopers to help try and locate the K-9 trooper. Searches continued for months. A Facebook Page called Find Bane was set up to help spread word that Bane was missing and a reward was offered for his safe return.

What troopers didn’t realize at the time was that the K-9 trooper was shot and killed a few hours after his initial chase of the deer.

About a year after Bane’s disappearance, an informant pointed to a suspect who allegedly shot Bane within hours of him going missing. An investigation followed, but there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges against the suspect.

“The canine unit keeps evolving with its tracking,” Bullis said. “After what happened with Bane, the unit put GPS tracking units on their canines. In a way, something positive came out of losing him.”

Bullis stayed in the canine unit for five more years and owned two dogs during that period until ultimately retiring from the position. He now serves as an on-road officer.