KEY POINTS:
A wanted man drowned a police dog with his bare hands during a pursuit through bush in the Bay of Plenty.
Police have refused to comment on how 3-year-old Enzo was killed, but it is understood the fugitive held him under water until he died.
Enzo's distraught handler,
Constable Kayne Cording, carried him several hundred metres to the nearest vehicle access after he found him dead.
An autopsy is to be conducted today.
Enzo was based in Tauranga and had been a police dog for just 18 months, but had already impressed police chiefs with his skill.
He is the 22nd police dog to be killed on duty in the past 34 years, and his death comes two weeks after another Bay of Plenty police dog, Cane, was stabbed.
Cane, a 7-year-old german shepherd based in Rotorua, has since been retired.
Enzo was killed while pursuing a 20-year-old man wanted for a family violence offence.
The dog's death sparked a major search for the suspect involving two helicopters and more than 30 police.
It lasted five hours and the fugitive was arrested at 5pm.
At least five police cars remained at the scene half an hour later.
Two police dog handlers, only one with a dog, were also there.
Depending on the results of the autopsy, the arrested man could be charged with killing a police dog, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison.
Western Bay of Plenty area commander Inspector Mike Clement said Enzo's death was a huge blow to Tauranga police.
"Naturally his handler, family and work colleagues are devastated," Mr Clement said.
"They [police dogs] are part of the police family."
Tauranga has four dog handlers, but now, without Enzo, only three police dogs.
The Rotorua dog unit has six police dogs, including one drug dog.
Enzo and Mr Cording had been called to pursue the suspect after officers went to a ruralproperty, 20km southwest of Tauranga, at 9.30am in a bid to locate the man.
The man ran off as police arrived at the property, which is on State Highway 29 over the Kaimai Ranges, prompting a call to Enzo and his handler to assist.
The dog tracked the suspect across rural land for 5-6km, at times following his scent through dense bush, until eventually Mr Cording caught sight of the fugitive.
Mr Clement said the man was issued with a standard challenge to stop, but continued fleeing, pursued by Enzo.
"A short time later the handler located his dog dead," Mr Clement said.
Asked if Enzo was stabbed, shot or drowned, Mr Clement said he would not comment until the post-mortem examination was carried out, but he did say the suspect was thought to be unarmed.
Mr Clement said the helicopters and police officers were immediately mobilised after Enzo was founddead.
He said the scale of the search illustrated "the passion and value we place in police dogs".
Mr Clement said Enzo was an "outstanding" police dog.
Enzo featured in the Bay of Plenty Times last month in a story about an armed offenders squad exercise.
It reported: "Twice police dog Enzo was set upon by a gun-wielding man after he [the man] refused to surrender."
