The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of one of its own.

Ranger, who served as a member of the sheriff’s K9 unit for about six years, died Wednesday.

According to a sheriff’s report, the 11-year-old German shepherd retired in 2008 after about six years of service.

While working for the agency, the four-legged deputy assisted Cpl. David Garrison with countless drug searches, tracking of suspects and hunts for missing people.

After his retirement, Ranger served as a therapy dog and lived with Garrison until he died, according to the report.

“Losing a dog that you raised from a puppy, trained daily and worked with on a full-time basis is like losing your own child,” Garrison said. “He will be missed terribly.”

Garrison now works with the sheriff’s traffic specialist unit and assists with certifying the office’s canines in narcotic detection, tracking and patrol apprehension.

According to the report, ranger won first place in 2005 during Patrol Dog Completion in Sevierville, Tenn., and was certified through the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association and American Working Dog.

The report noted that one of Ranger’s largest drug busts was in May 2007, when his “positive alert on a vehicle led to the arrest of multiple suspects and seizure of 200 kilos of cocaine.”

Ranger also earned various titles, ranging from narcotic dog to practical protection dog, over the years.