BURBANK (CNS) - A memorial service for a beloved police dog shot and killed by a suspect in Burbank is scheduled for Wednesday -- and the hero K9's valor will also be remembered aboard the city's Rose Parade float come New Year's Day.

Spike, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, was killed Nov. 22 during the pursuit of a suspect who was later shot and killed by officers.

Photos of the dog are posted on the BPD's Facebook page under the headline "K9 Spike / End of Watch: Saturday, November 22, 2025." A memorial of flowers, treats and tributes had also grown in recent days outside BPD headquarters.

Wednesday morning's ceremony at police headquarters will be attended by department command staff and officers, along with city officials and dignitaries and members of the Burbank Police Foundation. They will "honor K-9 Spike's service and sacrifice and to recognize his heroic actions that protected our officers and community," according to a Burbank Police Department announcement.

A formal memorial ceremony with remarks from BPD Chief Rafael Quintero and Mayor Nikki Perez will follow a procession from the Burbank Animal Shelter to the front of the police and fire department.

The public is invited to join in mourning Spike and honoring his service.

Jose Domingo Ayala Alas of Palmdale, the 37-year-old Palmdale man suspected of fatally shooting the dog while attempting to evade officers, was later killed in a shootout with officers.

Spike was shot after the suspect failed to yield while Burbank police were conducting a traffic stop at 6:40 p.m. Nov. 22 in the 2400 block of Buena Vista Street near the northbound Golden State (5) Freeway on-ramp, according to Lt. Derek Green of the BPD.

During the traffic stop, a passenger fled the vehicle, ran up the freeway on-ramp and jumped over an embankment wall into a nearby residential neighborhood, Green said.

The officers remained with the driver and vehicle while requesting assistance. Additional officers responded and a coordinated search was begun using Spike and a police helicopter.

Spike located the suspect hiding in nearby bushes and vegetation, and the suspect fired multiple rounds from a handgun, striking the animal, then ran away, police said.

Officers recovered the wounded canine, Green said, while a search for the suspect continued.

The dog was taken to an emergency veterinarian, but was pronounced dead.

Officers later saw the suspect hiding amid thick, overgrown terrain adjacent to the freeway, near the Buena Vista Street on-ramp. He was still armed within proximity of a residential neighborhood, Green said.

The effort transitioned to a joint operation involving the Burbank and Glendale police departments and included additional K9 officers, crisis negotiators and the Burbank Police Department SWAT team.

Multiple efforts were made to communicate with the suspect, encouraging him to surrender peacefully, police said. Officers established a containment and deployed less lethal systems as part of the effort. During those attempts, the suspect began shooting at police officers, striking police vehicles parked near the scene, Green said.

Officers from both the Burbank and Glendale police departments returned fire, hitting the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The handgun was recovered nearby, authorities said.

City officials say Spike will also be honored with images aboard Burbank's float, an annual entry in the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day.

The city's 2026 float will carry the theme "All Paws on Deck," which will aim to highlight animal rescue efforts.

"The Burbank Police Department appreciates the community's overwhelming support since Spike's passing," according to department statement. "This memorial provides an opportunity for the public and law enforcement partners to come together to honor Spike's legacy, heroic actions, and service to Burbank residents."

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