In Marshall County, Kentucky, the community is celebrating a good dog. Fox has been protecting and serving his community first with the Paducah Police Department since 2011. In January of 2018, he joined the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, continuing his hard work, but now it’s time for Fox to put his paws up in retirement.

With the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office patrolling roughly 300 square miles and over 900 miles of roadways, Fox kept full days protecting the citizens of his county. Now, while handler and “daddy,” Deputy Lofton Rowley, heads out to keep busting bad guys, Fox will be able to enjoy his days doing some of a dog’s favorite things. It’s treats and naps for this hard worker from here on out.

Hard Worker

Fox began his career as a police dog with the Paducah Police Department when he was 2 years old. In 2018, he transferred to the Marshall County Sherriff’s Department and partnered up with Deputy Rowley. Most police dogs have a career that spans 7-8 years, but Fox proved to be an anomaly, serving for more than a decade. At 12-years-old, with more than ten years of work under his collar, Fox is ready to chill. And he’s earned it.

In talking with The Paducah Sun, Sheriff Eddie McGuire said, “Fox has just been a really good dog. He’s not had some of the problems other K-9s have with their hips and things, so he’s able to get a few more years than the average K-9 would last.”

Fox excelled at his job, especially in the areas of “tracking, criminal apprehension, and narcotics detection.” Thanks to a good boy, the streets of Marshall County have known a deeper level of safety with Fox apprehending “countless criminals” while helping to rid the county of drugs.

Social Butterfly

But Fox wasn’t all business. He acted as a sort of “therapy dog” for many, which is unusual for many working dogs. In fact, most police dogs don’t interact much with the public, but Fox enjoyed the company of people, especially children. He even allowed pets from kids taking part in the DARE program!

Because of that heart, he and Rowley enjoyed a tenure at a local school for the last few years of Fox’s career. Fox truly proved to be “kinda the best of both worlds.”

Though he’s a diligent work dog who busts criminals on the regular and keeps schools safe, he is still a dog, and dogs get dirty. Even decorated police heroes need baths, whether they like it or not. And it looks like Fox might not be the biggest fan of bath time!

The community celebrated Fox’s hard work as a police dog with a party in his honor, but now he’ll just be chilling at home, enjoying retirement while hanging out with Deputy Rowley, his best friend and “daddy.”

On Facebook, the Department shared, “Fox has been a great asset to our community and will be greatly missed.”

Young Paws on the Beat

With Fox’s retirement, the department needed a new canine officer, and they were able to acquire two. But they aren’t cheap at typical prices of $20,000 each.

Sheriff McGuire explained, “With our budget, we would never be able to carve out the funding for two active K-9s without the help of the community.”

Along with the community coming hard with donations, the fundraising efforts of the Marshall County Community Foundation helped fill the coffers, allowing for the purchase of two police dogs for the department.

“Matter of fact we wouldn’t have been able to afford one dog, much less two, had they not pulled through and provided that funding for us.”

Conor and Batu are the newest police dogs on the block, and at a little more than a year old, they’re raring to go! Fox left some big paws to fill, but it seems Conor is already making strides to live up to his predecessor. The young rookie recently participated in his first drug bust, sniffing out two ounces of meth and proving he’s already got the nose for his new job!

So, while the pups have taken to the field, we wish a happy retirement to Fox and a warm welcome to the beat for Conor and Batu!

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K9s are an invaluable part of any police department. With their incredible sense of smell, police dogs can do many things human officers can’t, like finding a person by tracking their scent.

That skill plays a crucial role when it comes to finding missing people. Time is of the essence, especially when the missing person is a young child. And it’s even more important when it’s during a severe weather emergency.

Luckily, one 12-year-old girl who went missing during the recent Tropical Storm Elsa, but was soon found safe thanks to one smart tracking dog.

Elsa struck Florida last week, and the severe storm caused accidents leaving one dead and others injured.

And during the storm, a 12-year-old girl went missing in Lee County, Florida, putting her in serious danger. Luckily, the local Sheriff’s Office had an officer perfectly suited to find her: a bloodhound named Mercy.

Bloodhounds are famous for their incredible sense of smell, and Mercy has been putting her skills to good use as a member of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office since graduating from training last summer.

She specializes in tracking down missing people, so she was a crucial part of the search for the 12-year-old lost in the storm.

“Mercy tracked the little girl for more than half a mile through thick woods,” Lee County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook.

Searching the woods during a tropical storm would normally be a huge undertaking, but Mercy followed her nose right to the girl, getting her home quickly and safely.

“Thankfully, Mercy found her and brought her safely back home to her family,” the sheriff’s office wrote.

News of Mercy’s successful rescue mission has now gone viral, with over 1.6 thousand people sharing the story on Facebook. Hundreds of comments praise Mercy as a hero.

Great job, Mercy! It’s incredible what K9 dogs can do. So glad she was around to find this girl so quickly!

Share this great news if you love K9 dogs!

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K9 police dogs are an important part of any police department. They are especially important to their handlers on the force, who view them not just as an animal sidekick but a true partner on the job.

That was especially true for one Ohio police officer and his one-of-a-kind K9 partner, whose lives and careers were forever linked.

And this week, in a sad but sweet end to their story, the two officers died on the exact same day, just hours from one another.

On Wednesday, the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office announced that Sheriff Dan McClelland, who served the county for 44 years before retiring in 2016, died at the age of 67.

And his former partner, a Chihuahua-rat terrier mix named Midge, died just hours later, as if of a broken heart.

Sheriff McClelland was considered a “pillar” of his community during his decades on the force, including 13 years as sheriff.

He won Geauga County’s Emerald Leader Award in 2014, and his bio lists career accomplishments like clearing a major burglary ring and saving the life of another deputy by disarming an armed suspect.

“It’s always been about family and bringing people together,” McClelland said about his career.

But as impressive as his resume was, he spent much of his career of his partner Midge, who was quite the celebrity.

At 11 inches tall and 23 inches long, Midge earned the Guinness World Record for the smallest police dog in 2006. Despite her tiny size, Midge was a pro drug-sniffing K9.

Midge’s new celebrity status overshadowed her human partner, but McClelland was happy to cede the spotlight to his favorite dog.

“He used to joke that people would see him in a parade in a car and would say, ‘Hey, there’s Midge and whatshisname,’” Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand, McClelland’s successor, told the AP News. “I think she was more popular than him.”

They both retired at the end of 2016, bringing an end to two very successful careers and a beloved partnership.

“He spent 44 years protecting people in this county and, quite frankly, he loved his job, every minute of it,” Hildenbrand said of McClelland. “I thought he’d never retire.”

That they died so close together is a bittersweet and fitting end to their lives together.

And now, they’ll be together forever: according to AP, Sheriff McClelland and Midge will be buried together.

It goes to show the real loving bond between a police officer and his K9 partner. Share this beautiful story.

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Police in Marblehead, Ohio, have welcomed an unusual K9 into their department. Police work isn’t limited to any one breed, but light as a feather, Zorro isn’t taking down perps any time soon. Still, he has an important job around the Marblehead Police Department, and his fellow officers are thankful for him!

Police Chief Casey Joy tells WCPO Cincinnati that he felt moved to adopt a dog after learning that many were homeless after Hurricane Florence. The family already has another dog, who detects seizures for the police chief’s son. They brought Zorro, a 4-month-old Chihuahua mix home, and he has made a positive impact not only on the family, but on the community as well!

Zorro was sworn in as a mascot and reserve officer for the Marblehead Police Department shortly after his adoption. For now, his duties include riding along with Chief Joy on patrols and lifting spirits wherever he goes! He wears his very own uniform, which was donated by a Marblehead business owner and is just his size. Like any good dog, he gives both police and public a reason to smile and relax.

“He makes everyone that comes into the police department a much happier person than when they came in – generally – and just bring positivity to the residents that we serve.”

Chief Joy hopes that Zorro will someday be able to spread more happiness as a therapy dog. The plan is to visit nursing homes, hospitals, and other places together in the future, once Zorro has completed his training.

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K9 dogs are an invaluable part of the police force and do an incredible job saving people and keeping their communities safe, putting their lives on the line just like their human partners.

These dogs become a beloved part of any police department, but they form the most important bond with their handlers. Not only are they partners on the job, looking out for each other in the line of duty, but they are friends off the job as well: most handlers keep their dogs as pets.

That was the case for Officer Decristoforo of the Central Falls Police Department and his K9 partner Axel. Sadly, the police dog recently passed away… and a heartbreaking photo shows just how much the loss meant to the officer.

Axel died last month, a few years after retiring from the force. He was living with his former partner, who adopted him.

A local nonprofit animal group called Friends of Central Fall Animals wrote a tribute to the dog, praising him as an excellent officer.

“Axel was all business on the streets,” the post reads. “He did a phenomenal job at keeping the streets safe, and he always made sure our officers were safe regardless as to how dangerous a situation was.”

The post also describes Axel’s close bond with Officer Decristoforo.

“He wouldn’t have hesitated to give his life to save the life of a fellow officer, especially his partner,” the post reads. “These two were instantly best friends who were sure to have each other’s back.”

With the officer’s permission, they also shared a devastating photo of Decristoforo with Axel in his final moments:

“I can’t find the right words to describe the love that Officer Decristoforo had for Axel, but I do know he’s feeling broken right now by the loss of his other half,” Friends of Central Falls Animals wrote.

It’s clear the two officers truly loved each other, and it’s a bond that can’t be broken.

“The bond between a Police k9 and his partner can never be broken, not even in death,” the post reads. “K9 Axel may no longer be physically at Officer Decristoforo’s side, but he will forever be watching over him, and in his own way making sure he ends each shift safely just as he did when they were out there together keeping the streets safe!”

Rest in peace, Axel. We know you’ll be remembered dearly by your partner and all the officers you worked with. Your shift is over ?

Let’s pay tribute to this loyal K9 and his partner by sharing this beautiful photo.

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