The King County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of its first “bomb dog,” Quincy, who died of natural causes at the age of 12 on Monday.

Quincy was an explosives detection dog for the Sheriff’s Office for more than 10 years. He was a black Lab, trained and certified by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). He came to the Sheriff’s Office in late 1999 as the only ATF-trained explosives dog in the Pacific Northwest and one of only 18 in the country.

Quincy was introduced the public at a news conference Jan. 12, 2000.

In addition to explosives, Quincy could detect firearms, gunpowder, shell casings, and explosive residue on people.

In addition to his duties for the Sheriff’s Office, Quincy and his handler, Deputy John Decker, were deployed as needed by federal police agencies, including to the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade, as well as the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002. He also provided dignitary protection for Presidents Carter, Clinton and Bush, along with other dignitaries.

Quincy retired in early 2006, and was replaced by Jones, and later that year Stevie, who is assigned primarily to the Metro Transit Police.

During retirement, Quincy lived a dog’s life with his one-and-only handler, Dep. Decker, and his wife Deputy Kathy Decker.