WSP academy graduate Lilly begins K-9 duties

Last May Whitman County Sheriff's office lost a deputy to cancer. The German Shepherd K9 officer, Unix, was nine years old when he died from an aggressive form of cancer. He had served with the sheriff's office since 2011.

Now filling the void left by Unix is Lilly, who was purchased using money forfeited from drug activities, and brought to Washington from Germany.

Teamed up with Sgt. Keith Cooper, 15-month-old Lilly graduated from the Washington State Patrol K-9 Academy in Olympia Dec. 4. Sgt. Cooper actually took a different dog with him to the training, but when that dog didn't pan out Sgt...