IN MEMORIAM

RBPD service dog K9-Meredith (2015–2023) passed away on Feb. 14

by Victor Simoes

K9 Meredith, beloved member of the Redondo Beach community, passed away from an aggressive mast cell tumor on Feb. 14. Meredith worked as a facility dog, providing emotional support and service dog assistance at educational, medical or community sites. Her uplifting spirit and comforting memory will be cherished for many years to come.

Born on Sep. 17, 2015, Meredith was brought to Redondo Beach by Keith Kaufman, the chief of Redondo Beach Police Department (RBPD) at the time, and began working for the RBPD as a facility dog in 2017.

Facility dogs and their handlers live together to become accustomed to each other’s body language and signals. As a result, Sharon Rose, Meredith’s handler, became more familiar with her personality than most people did.

job,” Rose said. “People did ask me a lot ‘What's her job?’ Well, they were watching it!”