The Dane County Sheriff's Office announced the death of TJ, a retired K9 dog.

TJ, who died early Sunday morning, worked with Deputy Tony Enger from 1996 until 2005, when TJ retired from his work as a rescue and cadaver dog.

Trained to find missing persons and locate cadavers on land and under water, TJ assisted many police agencies, including the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. TJ. who was 13, worked on many high profile cases, including the search for Elizabeth "Beth" Kutz, who vanished after leaving work in DeForest in 2000. Though Kutz's body has never been found, her estranged husband, Daniel Kutz, was convicted of her murder.

TJ is credited with locating a person on Picnic Point who had collapsed from a heart attack, said Sheriff's spokeswoman Elise Schaffer.

In 2003, the Badger Kennel Club named TJ "Hero of the Year."

Enger now works with K9 Milo, who also is trained as a search and cadaver dog.