Please Welcome K-9 Eci!

We at Project K-9 Hero, would like to welcome K-9 “Eci”, from the NFTA Transit Authority Police Department in New York, to the Pack as our 262nd overall member.

K-9 Eci is an eight-year old female Dutch Shepherd, trained in Explosives Detection. After 5 1/2 years of service, Eci had an earlier than expected retirement due to a recent cancer diagnosis. “It is unfortunate because she is still so spunky and has a lot of drive to work left in her,” according to her Handler, Officer Bigham.

Over the last few months Eci was being treated for severe arthritis in her back, which she had a scheduled MRI for, but was put on the back burner because of her current diagnosis discovered in the process. While still on active duty she underwent a splenectomy on October 19th, 2023 due to a discovered mass in her spleen from an ultrasound. The mass was diagnosed as cancerous and Eci started chemotherapy on Monday, November 13th, 2023. Which is also the day she was medically retired from service, leaving the financial responsibility on her handler for her medical care.

Eci is receiving Doxorubicin as an IV injection, and will need 6-8 rounds with a timeline for injection every three weeks. This cost is an extreme financial burden for any first responder to inherit with such short notice.

Officer Bigham and K-9 Eci graduated after 10 weeks of training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas in June of 2018. They have primarily been assigned to the department’s metro division, but have worked at both airports frequently over the years. In addition to answering daily calls for service, bomb threats and assisting other agencies for events, Officer Bigham and K-9 Eci were detailed to the MLB All Star Game in Cleveland, OH in 2019, Miami Super Bowl LIV in 2020, and Phoenix Super Bowl LVII 2023. They also were assigned to both the Presidential and Vice Presidential details after the Tops Mass Shooting in 2022 in Buffalo, NY.

The team has traveled over 9200 miles together and stepped foot in 16 states. Officer Bigham and K-9 Eci have logged hundreds and hundreds of hours of community policing all over Western New York, Eci has actually become quite the local celebrity. K-9 Eci recently won “TSA’s Cutest Canine Contest” and will be featured in their 2024 Calendar. According to her Handler, K-9 Eci will miss riding trains and working hard on her training days the most. Eci will retire to Officer Bigham’s home where she will live the life of trailed bike rides, walks, endless toys, and rest.

We are honored to now be taking care of this Hero for the remainder of her life financially so she can spend her well deserved retirement with her handler and family. Thank you Eci for your dedicated service and protection to the State of New York, the communities you have served in, and the United States of America . Welcome to the PK9HERO Pack!