On Oct. 21,2025, the Ellis community united at Duke’s Dog Park to cut a ribbon to honor K9 Duke, a heroic K9 who was stabbed by a burglary suspect after he chased the suspect into an abandoned train yard.  

K9 Duke showed his courage and heroically sacrificed himself so the suspect would be successfully apprehended by the police officers, and the mayor of Tracy, Dan Arriola, compliments this gesture. 

“This whole event was set up for Duke,” Arriola explained. “He saved the day that day and we are here to praise that act.”    

Duke was honored during the event when everyone stood up and gave the hero a moment of silence.  

The Acting Police in Chief of Tracy PD, Miguel Contreras, talks more in depth about what happened to Duke that day. 

“He chased this man for a while until they ended up in an abandoned train yard,” Contreras explained. “The suspect ran into a train cart and hid, Duke found him but he had a knife with him and Duke held him off until police came and apprehended the man.” 

This act from Duke led to the police being able to catch the man, but Duke sadly did not survive as he was stabbed a dozen times and died on the spot.

The other reason this ribbon cutting was established is to commemorate the new parks of the Ellis community: Western Park, Orchard Park, and Duke’s Dog Park. 

“Each of these parks are big,” Brian Macdonald, the director of Tracy Parks, Recreation & Community Services states, “We made them big because the Ellis community is a large and growing community, so we needed the size.” 

The parks have many facilities such as pickleball courts, tennis courts and a soccer field.  

“The Parks have certain areas for certain sports like the pickleball court and the soccer field for the children,” concluded Macdonald.  

The ribbon cutting wasn’t just a place to commemorate the parks, but to honor K9 Duke and his efforts to save other people’s lives.