Richmond officer shot graduated top of her class at K9 officer training

RICHMOND, Ind — Richmond Police K9 Officer Seara Burton and her K9 partner Brev graduated from Vohne Liche Kennels just last April.

Vohne Liche provides rigorous, six-week training courses for K9 officers and their loyal companions. The owner and head trainer remember Seara’s time there fondly

”She did this out of the love for her community, out of the love for being a police officer and out of the love for working a dog,” said Ken Licklider, the owner of Vohne Liche Kennels.

Ken and Luis Rodriguez, the head trainer at Vohne Liche Kennels, said Seara was a perfect student.

”She brought it all in strength, in mind,” Luis said. “She did everything we asked her to do.”

Luis has a deep respect for Seara, he said she is a handler he would follow any day. He said during graduation you could tell how proud everyone was of her. Luis said she is the first female K9 Officer in the Richmond Police Dept.

During the six-week training course, the two worked closely together. Luis remembers her nonstop questions. 

“She was always there, the first one on-site, the last one to leave,” Luis said.

Ken and Luis said she was the only woman in the course but quickly proved she was the best.

”Everyone was watching because she was very quickly turning into the best handler in the class,” Luis said.

From the beginning, they said she stood out, picking her K9 Brev who they said was a little bigger than they thought she could handle at first.

“I went, ‘Alright, you can talk the talk, let’s see if you can walk the walk,’” Luis said. “And she did, she backed up every single word that she said, she handled that dog very very well.”

Luis said it only took two days for Seara and Brev to bond, much quicker than most partners.

”They bonded so well and that dog would do anything she asked her to do,” Luis said.

When Seara was shot, she was conducting a traffic stop with Brev. The K9 had just indicated the possible presence of drugs on the suspect’s moped.

”She was doing what we taught her to do, she was working her dog,” Luis said.

As prayers come in for Seara, her family and the Richmond Police Department – the family at Vohne Liche Kennels is also thinking of Brev.

”He will be depressed, you’ll see all the emotions that you see from humans from this animal,” Ken said.

Both Ken and Luis agreed, if there is one thing they know about Seara it is that she is a fighter. They want her to know that they’re here, thinking about her and in this fight with her.