The most decorated four-legged hero in United States History, who defended the White House before his retirement from the United States Secret Service Special Operations Canine unit, has died. He was 16 years old.
“Hurricane was a true American hero. The most decorated K-9 in U.S. history, he bravely defended the White House and spent retirement helping other working dogs through @Hurricane_K9,” a post on Wednesday on X from the official White House account read.
“His legacy of courage and loyalty will live on,” it added. “Rest easy, Hurricane.”
The post included a great photo of the black Belgian Malinois and retired member of the USSS Special Ops Canine with an image of the White House in the background.
Hurricane was a true American hero.
The most decorated K-9 in U.S. history, he bravely defended the White House and spent retirement helping other working dogs through @Hurricane_K9. His legacy of courage and loyalty will live on.
Rest easy, Hurricane. 🇺🇸🐾 pic.twitter.com/st5VxcOiAd
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 19, 2025
In 2014, Hurricane made headlines for his bravery when he took down a White House intruder who had scaled the White House fence during former President Barack Obama’s presidency while his family was inside, per a former USSS release read
Longtime handler Marshall Mirarchi, who served in the Secret Service’s Special Operations Division from 2006 to 2017, later talked about the pup’s actions and said the intruder “beat Hurricane really bad. But Hurricane did not give up.”
Shortly after the incident, Hurricane retired due to the injuries but was always credited with being a “very good boy.”
“On every shift of every day, we at the Secret Service strive to uphold five core values; Duty, Honor, Loyalty, Justice, and Courage,” Uniformed Division Assistant Chief Michael Buck said during a ceremony that honored the four-legged hero with the Distinguished Service Medal. “They are the five points of our agency’s star, and on a dark night in October 2014, they were embodied by a very good boy named Hurricane.”
Hurricane’s name and legacy will live on through a non-profit organization called “Hurricane’s Heroes,” created in his name to help cover medical expenses for retired law enforcement and military dogs, per its website.
K9 Hurricane’s Heroes, a federally recognized, non-profit organization, provides “retired law enforcement and military dogs” with subsidized veterinary care so they can live a long and healthy life. Often these incredible dogs are the unsung heroes behind the operations put in place to keep us safe,” its mission statement read.
Related: Secret Service Pups Play In The Snow At White House
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The most decorated four-legged hero in United States History, who defended the White House before his retirement from the United States Secret Service Special Operations Canine unit, has died. He was 16 years old.
“Hurricane was a true American hero. The most decorated K-9 in U.S. history, he bravely defended the White House and spent retirement helping other working dogs through @Hurricane_K9,” a post on Wednesday on X from the official White House account read.
“His legacy of courage and loyalty will live on,” it added. “Rest easy, Hurricane.”
The post included a great photo of the black Belgian Malinois and retired member of the USSS Special Ops Canine with an image of the White House in the background.
Hurricane was a true American hero.
The most decorated K-9 in U.S. history, he bravely defended the White House and spent retirement helping other working dogs through @Hurricane_K9. His legacy of courage and loyalty will live on.
Rest easy, Hurricane. 🇺🇸🐾 pic.twitter.com/st5VxcOiAd
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 19, 2025
In 2014, Hurricane made headlines for his bravery when he took down a White House intruder who had scaled the White House fence during former President Barack Obama’s presidency while his family was inside, per a former USSS release read
Longtime handler Marshall Mirarchi, who served in the Secret Service’s Special Operations Division from 2006 to 2017, later talked about the pup’s actions and said the intruder “beat Hurricane really bad. But Hurricane did not give up.”
Shortly after the incident, Hurricane retired due to the injuries but was always credited with being a “very good boy.”
“On every shift of every day, we at the Secret Service strive to uphold five core values; Duty, Honor, Loyalty, Justice, and Courage,” Uniformed Division Assistant Chief Michael Buck said during a ceremony that honored the four-legged hero with the Distinguished Service Medal. “They are the five points of our agency’s star, and on a dark night in October 2014, they were embodied by a very good boy named Hurricane.”
Hurricane’s name and legacy will live on through a non-profit organization called “Hurricane’s Heroes,” created in his name to help cover medical expenses for retired law enforcement and military dogs, per its website.
K9 Hurricane’s Heroes, a federally recognized, non-profit organization, provides “retired law enforcement and military dogs” with subsidized veterinary care so they can live a long and healthy life. Often these incredible dogs are the unsung heroes behind the operations put in place to keep us safe,” its mission statement read.
Related: Secret Service Pups Play In The Snow At White House
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