A girl’s best friend: How the legacy of a Southern Tier toddler continues through a K9 officer

A little girl's legacy is continuing through one Western New York police department.

CALLIE OPEN- PLEASELET THE MUSIC RUNFOR A FEW SECONDSOFF THE TOP - WITH APICTURE OF KALLIE-"IT WAS THE RIGHTTHING TO DO AND IWANTED TO CARRYHER NAME ON.""KNOWING NOW THATHE IS THE HANDLER OFK-9 KAL.

IT'S, IT'S VERYHEARTWARMING."A LITTLE GIRL'SLEGACY -- AND HOW ALOCAL POLICEDEPARTMENT ISENSURING HERMEMORY LIVES ON ...KALLIE LYNN SWANWAS ONLY 3 YEARSOLD WHEN SHE LOSTHER BATTLE WITH"ACUTELYMPHOBLASTICLEUKEMIA" IN 20-15.IT WAS A RUTHLESSDISEASE... AND SHEFOUGHT HARD -- ANDALTHOUGH HER TIMEON THIS EARTH WASSHORT, HER LEGACYLIVES ON.YOU SEE, KALLIELOVED DOGS -- HERDOG "LILY"ESPECIALLY.AND NOW, THAT LOVE,CARRIES ON -- WITH ANEW MEMBER OF THEJAMESTOWN POLICEDEPARTMENT.NIKKI DIMENTRI HASTHE STORY."OKAY DO IT.

CLICK"KALLIE SWAN IS SAIDTO HAVE PUT A SMILEON ANYONE'S FACE."ALWAYS MADEPEOPLE LAUGHDESPITE WHAT SHEWAS GOING THROUGHAND ALWAYSCONCERNED ABOUTOTHERS."TARA SWAN KALLIE'SMOM SAYS HERTWO FAVORITEPLACES IN THE WORLDWERE THE ZOO ANDAT HOME WITH LOVEDONES AND HER PUPPY,LILY."DON'T LICK, DON'TLICK.

GIGGLE"FOR HALF OF HER LIFETHE SOUTHERNTIER TODDLERBRAVELY BATTLEDAGAINST A LEUKEMIADIAGNOSIS."RUNNING HALLWAY"CANCER ULTIMATELYTOOK HER LIFE IN2015."WE WOULD LOVE TOHAVE KALLIE HEREPHYSICALLY WITH US,BUT WE KNOW THATSHE'S HERE IN SOMANY WAYS."KALLIE WITHOUT ADOUBT WAS AFIGHTER.AND SHE LIVED A LOTOF LIFE IN THOSETHREE AND A HALFYEARS.INSPIRINGTHE COMMUNITY THENAND NOW THROUGHKALLIE'S KRUSADE."TWINKLE TWINKLE""SHE CONTINUES TOTOUCH PEOPLE'SLIVES DESPITE NOTBEING ALIVE AND IT'SREALLY QUITEAMAZING."IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARSSINCE KALLIE LEFTTHIS EARTH, BUT THEFAMILY'SORGANIZATION STILLRAISES FUNDS ANDAWARENESS FORPEDIATRIC CANCER.AND NOW HERLEGACY CONTINUESON IN THE FORM OF AFURRY LOVED ONE."DOG"MEET K-9 "KAL.""KALLIE WAS AFIGHTER AND THISDOG CAN CARRY HERNAME.""I KNOW CALLIE LOVEDIT.

SHE JUST LOVEDTHE IDEA, BUT NOWTHE FACT THAT WEACTUALLY HAVE A DOGNAMED AFTER HER, INHER HONOR, IT'SPRETTY AWESOME."OFFICER ERIK KRAFTWITH JAMESTOWNPOLICE IS K-9 KAL'SHANDLER."YEAH.

HE'LL BE 14MONTHS OLDTOMORROW."KRAFT NOT ONLYWORKS WITH KALLIE'SDAD, BUT IS ALSODEAR FRIENDS WITHTHE FAMILY.IT WAS YEARS AGO HETOLD THEM ONE DAYHE WOULD NAME ONEOF HIS PARTNERS INMEMORY OF THEIRDAUGHTER."IT JUST, JUST MADEMY HEART SWELL."AFTER UNEXPECTEDLYLOSING K-9 PROMBERTHIS SUMMER, KRAFTSAYS HE KNEW HISNEXT PARTNER HADTO HONOR ONE OFTHE FALLEN."ONE THING I SAID TOTARA IS THAT I'M NOTGOING TO LET HERDOWN, I'M NOT GOINGTO LET THECOMMUNITY DOWN.

IWANT TO TRY TO MAKETHIS THE BEST K-9 WECAN FOR OURDEPARTMENT."BEFORE HEADING TOPATROL ANDTRACKING SCHOOL INSYRACUSE A FEWWEEKS AGO, K-9 KALMET KALLIE'S MOMFOR THE FIRST TIME."AND OH MYGOODNESS, HE WASSO LOVEY AND JUST, IJUST WANTED TO TAKEHIM HOME."A SPECIAL MOMENTTHE TWO WILLFOREVER REMEMBER."KALLIE WAS VERYSPECIAL AND I WANTTHIS DOG TO BE APART OF THECOMMUNITY.

KALLIEWAS BIG PART OF THECOMMUNITY.

SHESTILL IS A BIG PART OFTHE COMMUNITY."AND NOW IT'S K-9KAL'S TURN TOINSPIRE THECOMMUNITY.INKALLIE'S HONOR."DOG"NIKKI DEMENTRI,7EWN.