HISTORIC TRIANGLE — K-9 Cody, beloved canine partner of James Overton, has made her way to the rainbow bridge at the age of 14.
Cody, a German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix, was placed with Overton at the age of five. Before becoming part of the Hampton Roads area, Cody was stationed in Baghdad as an explosive detection dog at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.
When Overton was approached by a friend at Busch Gardens about becoming a handler, he knew he had to take the opportunity.
“I didn’t know anything about K-9, other than how to hold a leash,” Overton said in a 2024 interview. “He asked me to come out to his facility in Minnesota to train and get certified. I’d always wanted to do K-9 when I was in the military, and I never really had a chance, so I took it. His dog that he gave me was Cody, and we’ve been together ever since.”
Quite quickly, Overton realized that while Cody was a working dog, she was special.
“She was just such a special girl. She was a great K-9, but her demeanor is what set her apart from a lot of the other dogs that I’ve worked around or worked with. That’s probably one of the things that sticks out the most. A lot of K-9s, you can’t approach them, especially the law enforcement ones. With Cody, she was just so gentle and so social that it really took my career in a different path,” Overton said.
From protecting Busch Gardens patrons to working large-scale athletics events and sniffing out concert venues to clear them of explosives, Cody’s work had taken her all over the globe. Overton and Cody also made a difference here in Hampton Roads by protecting the Hampton and Newport News school systems against firearms and narcotics.
“She was the initial dog that we brought into Hampton Schools. A lot of people were apprehensive about bringing K-9s into schools because of the stigma attached to a police K-9. I used Cody to help break down those barriers, and she was instrumental in that,” Overton said.
In 2020, Cody was named the American Humane Hero Law Enforcement Dog of the Year, and in 2024, Cody was honored with a Congressional Distinguished Service Medal at the U.S. Capitol for her efforts in protecting schools.
While losing Cody will always have an effect on him, Overton hopes to continue her legacy through the School Canine Safety Initiative and the Pawsitive Patrol.
“We started a program that while K-9s are sweeping schools, we also bring in some therapy dogs at the same time so the kids can interact with them. It became such a huge program where the schools are requesting the Pawsitive Patrol more than the regular K-9s. Cody became the unofficial head K-9 for the Pawsitive Patrol and she shined in that role,” Overton said.
Cody would still go to work events with Overton well into her retirement. Overton and Cody also participated in speaking engagements with American Humane.
In a final sendoff for Cody in early August, Overton arrived at a local veterinary hospital with a police escort, and law enforcement officers saluted Cody on her arrival.
The final moments with Cody are something that Overton said he will not soon forget. According to Overton, Cody left a lasting impact not only on him but on the Hampton Roads region.
“She was one of those K-9 partners where I know she’ll never be replaced. I’ll never find another dog that was as push-button as her that is so kind and loving at the same time.”