The Boerne Police Department on Tuesday dedicated a permanent monument to fallen K-9 Officer Chico, who died in the line of duty in April 2025.
The ceremony was held at the Police Station on National Police K-9 Day, bringing together city officials, law enforcement personnel, community organizations, and residents to remember Chico and recognize the role police K-9s play in protecting the community.
Chico joined the Boerne Police Department in November 2023 and worked alongside his handler, Sgt. Pedro Moncada, until his death on April 10, 2025.
“Chico was that kind of partner,” Police Chief Steve Perez said during the ceremony, describing the bond between a K-9 and its handler as one built on trust, training, and countless hours spent working together.
“For our department, that loss was deeply personal,” Perez said. “We lost a member of our team, an officer lost his partner, and our community lost a K-9 that many residents had come to know through his service to Boerne.”
Police K-9s are trained for specialized duties that can include tracking suspects and missing people and searching for narcotics, firearms, and explosives. Perez said their value extends beyond those duties, with K-9s also helping strengthen relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
City Manager Ben Thatcher said public safety is a fundamental responsibility of local government and emphasized the importance of providing officers with the resources and partnerships needed to do their jobs.
“Chico served alongside our officers. He helped protect this community,” Thatcher said. “Long after today’s ceremony is over, this statue will remain here, as will his legacy of service to Boerne.”
Mayor Frank Ritchie said Chico became a familiar presence to many residents through police demonstrations and community events, particularly among children.
“When Chico died, we saw just how meaningful that connection had become,” Ritchie said. “We are a community that supports those who serve us, and we show up for one another. When one of our own experiences a loss, we feel that loss together.”
Ritchie also issued a proclamation recognizing Sept. 1, 2026, as National Police K-9 Day in Boerne.
The monument was created by artist Linda Sioux Henley with assistance from Brittany Schmidt, an administrative assistant with the Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division.
It was made possible through financial and community support from Jet Specialty, the Kendall County 100 Club, the Kendall County Citizens Law Enforcement Academy Alumni Association, and Kendall County Crime Stoppers 2000.
Local Girl Scout Troop 758 also partnered with Boerne Animal Care Services on a project honoring Chico. The troop built a housing unit for a free microchip reader, providing a resource to help lost animals return home while continuing Chico’s legacy in the community. It has been installed outside the Police Department.
The ceremony concluded with the official unveiling of the monument.
“While this statue is about Chico, it also represents something larger,” Perez said. “It honors the generations of police K-9s who have worked beside law enforcement officers and the extraordinary bond between those dogs and their handlers.”
