The hurt was evident in the eyes of Lauderdale County sheriff’s deputy Lowery Davis as he watched the department’s drug dog “Bo” slowly walk, painfully limping and dragging one of his hind feet.

With a little encouragement, Bo carefully stepped off a curb after Davis lifted him from his vehicle.

“He has arthritis in his hip and his neck so bad that it’s affecting his nervous system to the point that he can barely walk,” Davis said of his partner. “It’s so bad that once he gets down, I have to help him up.”

Davis said three local veterinarians examined Bo during the weekend. All three came to the same conclusion.

“There’s nothing they can really do for him to help his quality of life improve,” Davis said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Bo, a six-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, was euthanized.

Joe Shanes, the department’s other canine officer, was standing outside the courthouse Wednesday morning with Davis and Bo.

“I know what he’s going through,” Shanes said of the feelings Davis has for the animal.

Shanes had to euthanize his partner, Fox, three years ago. They had been together 11 years.

“They’re family, and it’s never easy losing family,” Shanes said.

“It’s like losing a major player of a football team,” said Lauderdale County Sheriff Ronnie Willis. “It’s a sad day. Bo was a big part of our department.”

The department received Bo, a golden Lab, in 2006 when he was 2 years old. Willis said the dog was purchased with donations from area Lions Clubs.

“He is the department’s first single-purpose dog. His sole duty was drugs,” said former Lauderdale County deputy Derek Boone, who was Bo’s handler for more than five years.

“Other dogs in the department have been multipurpose dogs, but Bo had one purpose in life and that was to look for dope.”

Boone said that during his time with Bo, they made several arrests.

“We made well over 100 misdemeanor drug arrests and between 40-50 felony drug cases,” said Boone, whose voice at times trembled with emotion when talking about Bo. “We found distribution amounts of cocaine and meth. Bo was good at what he did.”

Boone said he and Bo grew close through the years. When Boone moved to Foley to become a part of the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office he said he cried, knowing that he was ending his partnership with Bo.

“He was with me all the time — 24/7. I used to kid that I saw him more than I did my wife,” Boone said.”

Davis, who has had Bo for the past six months, said it was becoming increasingly difficult for the dog to maintain his balance.

“He still wants to play when I get his ball, but it hurts me to watch him walk. I tear up watching him, because I know he’s in such pain,” Davis said.

Boone said he will always have memories of the times he and Bo spent together.

“When I started getting ready, he would run out to the car and sit there waiting until I got dressed,” Boone said. “Bo was excited about going to work every day.

“Since I’ve moved to Foley, I’ve talked with a lot of the guys here about Bo and shared some stories with them. He will always be a part of my life.”

Tom Smith can be reached at 256-740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.