In Sacramento, CA, a police dog hero named Kaleo was recently forced to retire after a cancerous tumor was discovered in his paw.

According to the Sacramento Sherriff's K9 Association, "After four and a half years of service with the Sacramento Sheriff's Department K9 Kaleo has been retired. Kaleo was recently retired after a tumor was discovered on his rear foot. He was retired from service due to unforeseen medical expenses that the county could not cover."

Deputy Mark Limbird, Kaleo's handler, said in a recent news story, Kaleo has had an adventurous five years on the job. "I can think of several times that he had my back and definitely saved my life," he said.

Unfortunately, because he was forced to retire, Kaleo will no longer be covered by the county for his veterinary care during his fight against cancer. Instead, Limbird must seek out help to pay for Kaleo's treatment.

"A ballpark figure just for Kaleo for his treatment at this time is about $10,000," said Limbird. "Thankfully, the Sacramento Sheriff's K-9 Association was established to help in situations like this," he added. The group raises money to help pay for retired working dogs' health care. But, in a struggling economy, donations are down. So last weekend, the Sacramento Sheriff K9 Association hosted its first annual SSD K9 5k/10k Run/Walk to help to pay for his upcoming chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

If you would like to make a donation to help pay for Kaleo's expenses, please visit the Sacramento Sherriff's Association donation page.