 Memorials
to Fallen K-9s 2004 page 01 The F.A.S.T. Co. donates sets of cards to all partners I need your help to inform me of such losses. |
Dept. addresses available for those who want to send condolences to officers. See below
| In Loving Memory of K-9 TANGO January 3, 2004  Partner: Officer Ron Callahan Little Ferry Police Dept. 215-217 Liberty St. Little Ferry, NJ 07643 201-641-2770 |
Tango was a duel
trained
patrol narcotics K-9. He was trained at the Bergen Co. Sheriff Department. He did many demonstration at local school and the students loved him. He was very social and lovable. When he had his work collar on, he knew it was time to work, when he had on his play collar, he knew it was play time. He was a special dedicated K-9. Cancer was taking Tango from all who loved him, thus his suffering ended and the sorrow began. “TANGO” You always were my trusted friend Right up to the very end You were my partner for many years Devoted, courageous without any fears You covered my back day-in, day-out You’d give me your life without a doubt We worked together both night and day From my side, you would not stray You were a true K-9 in body and soul Never losing sight of your chosen goal My closest pal when we were home We’d walk, we’d talk-never caring to roam You made me proud and happy, Tango And I was not ready to let you go I made you a promise that I had to keep You would not suffer though I would weep I am thankful for each day we had to share And you so deserved each shedded tear I know you are at peace and free from pain And I will honor your badge till we meet again ~Ron Callahan |
In Loving Memory of K-9 AXEL January 3, 2004  Partner: Jack Kilrain Norfolk County Sheriff's Office 200 West Street P.O Box 149 Dedham, MA 02027 Tel: 781-329-3705 Fax: 781-326-1079    On Saturday January 3, 2004, I had to make the most heartbreaking decision to put my K9 Partner. "AXEL" to sleep due to cancer. K9 "Axel" was a young 8 years old German shepherd, Dual Purpose Police Service Dog, (Patrol & Narcotics). As all K9 handlers there is not enough words to explain the Love,Dedication, Devotion to be a Great K9 TEAM!!!!!. MORE ABOUT AXEL One of the Norfolk County Sheriff's Department's best officers takes his commands in Czechoslovakian, prefers to be paid in toys, and wears fur on the hottest days . Lt. Jack Kilrain and his partner have lived and worked together since 1996. Kilrain is 35. His partner is 56 - in dog years. Kilrain wears his hair short; Axel wears his long, with some strands of gray showing through. Both are trim and rugged looking, well-suited to be partners. When they're not on the job, Kilrain and Axel (also known as "Ax") make their home in Quincy with Kilrain's wife and the couple's first child, an infant daughter. Axel has accepted the family as his "pack." Kilrain says, "The dog is part of the family. If you don't have that bond, it's hard for the K-9 team to work together." A correctional officer for 14 years, Kilrain graduated from Bunker Hill Community College with a degree in criminal justice. In 1996, he became part of the K-9 Unit at the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office and Correctional Center in Dedham. He was promoted to lieutenant in May. The love between the officer and his canine partner is obvious. The German shepherd from Czechoslovakia was just 17 months old when he and Kilrain became a team. Together they attended an 18-week program at the Plymouth County Canine Academy. Training is ongoing. In fact, Kilrain says, "You have to train the way you work. You keep him healthy. You keep him trained. You keep him active. These dogs are pretty good until they're 10 years old. You don't really push it much after 10." "You have to expose these dogs to certain elements they'll have to work in that they don't see overseas," Kilrain says, citing as examples the slippery floors and dark corridors where the dog may have to go on an assignment. Among the most dangerous of assignments are armed robberies, he says. Kilrain stresses the importance of the dog's socialization so that the animal will be well-adjusted. After all, the working police dog is a public-service provider. "These dogs are very, very sociable," he says. Together, they go through 24-hour a month canine in-service training. In addition, Kilrain and Axel are United States Police Canine Association certified. "The care of the dog is each canine officer's responsibility," Kilrain says. There are three canine teams at the correctional center, one team to each of three shifts. The other teams in the unit include Brian Bersani and his dog Lobo, and Vincent Spathanas and his dog Meik. "We are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year," says Kilrain. Like the officers, the canines have bulletproof and stab-resistant vests. Manufactured by International Armor, the canine vests cost between $850 and $1,000. According to the Correctional Center's Web site, the vests were made possible "... by the money-raising efforts of local children sponsored by Massachusetts Vest-A-Dog, a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping police dogs safe." |
All
the K-9 dogs are European imports. They take their commands - 25 to 35
of them - in Czech. The sheriff's office takes care of all the dogs'
expenses, but it is up to the canine officer to make sure the animal is
well cared for. The dogs are kept lean and in shape. Axel's weight
ranges between 65 and 70 pounds. He's fed 3 1/2 to 4 cups of dry food
once a day, in the morning. He's allowed to take water 1 1/2 to 2 hours
later - no sooner because he could develop "bloat" if the water swelled
up the food. Kilrain likes to keep Axel's weight between 65 and 68
pounds during the summer. In talking
about his work, Kilrain says, "Our main focus is the jail." Presently,
there are 570 inmates. The correctional center is composed of two areas
- the jail side, where they hold those who are awaiting trial; and the
house side, where the others are serving their sentences. Seven to nine
months is the average stay. Those who are sent to the center have a 2
1/2-year maximum sentence on any one charge. The center gets people
with all the lesser charges - OUI and drug charges,
mostly. "We've had some notorious people," such as
abortion clinic killer John Salvi and Dr. Dirk Greineder, the Wellesley
allergist convicted of murdering his wife, says Public Relations
Director David Falcone. On a
typical day, Kilrain will arrive about 20 to 25 minutes before his
3-10:30 p.m. shift. Roll call is from 3 to 3:15, when all assignments
are given. Canine Units are assigned only to the perimeter posts
outside. "We inspect each and every vehicle that enters the secure
facility," Kilrain says. And the K-9 Unit keeps track of all visitors.
"It's a mobile patrol. It's always a mobile patrol," says Kilrain. As
part of the daily routine, every single door is checked; the infrared
system is checked; windows are secured. All the
K-9s are narcotics-certified, and sometimes, if there is a suspicion,
they'll do searches in the correctional center. Mail products seem to
pose the biggest problem, according to Kilrain.
The K-9 Unit is called upon to support local police departments in
searches for missing persons, drug detection and suspect apprehension.
They also do a lot of outreach programs with children and senior
citizens. Drug dealers can be tricky these days.
Kilrain says they'll often try to conceal drugs in hidden compartments
in their vehicles. "The dogs can find the drugs anyway," he says
matter-of-factly. "The dogs will scratch at the area where they think
the drug is. Cocaine is tough. Heroin is the But Kilrain
says a dog's nose is 1,000 to 10,000 times more sensitive than a
human's. "Everything they [the K-9] do is with their
nose." The time it will take for the dog to make a
"find" will depend on how much there is, where it is and how long it's
been there. Kilrain says dogs can go through "nasal fatigue" if they've
been working on a find for a long time. Kilrain
leaves a conference room to set up a "find." He's taken half a
milliliter of pseudo cocaine (a synthetic) and has saturated a piece of
gauze with it. He hides it in a locker in a visitor room and brings in
Axel. Kilrain says, while introducing his partner, "This is my boy.
This is Ax. He'll do anything to save my life." When
Kilrain puts a certain collar on Axel, the K-9 knows it's time to look
for drugs. He asks the dog, "Where's your gifty?" Kilrain has hidden it
in one of his pockets. The dog gets excited with the mention of the
toy, a piece of PVC tubing with holes cut into it. The "gifty" is the
reward he always gets, in addition to praise, for finding drugs.
Getting the "gifty" satisfies Axel's play drive. Offering a little
guidance on where to check for the "drug," Kilrain says the method of
search is low, medium, high - in that order, because "Odor always falls
to the bottom." He can hear the dog's breathing change as he gets
closer to the "hide." Axel scratches at a certain locker door, and it's
a score. Rewarding Axel with the "gifty," Kilrain smiles, and jokes,
"He's got his cigar." The K-9 teams respond to
requests by various communities during the year. For example, a police
department may call for aid in apprehending a suspect. Kilrain mentions
an occurrence in October 2000 when the Needham Police Department asked
for the K-9 Unit's assistance. hardest [to sniff out].
" An older woman had been robbed. She got a good
description of the suspect. He was wearing a black sweatshirt and was
carrying a pillowcase and a multicolor flashlight. It was 10 p.m. and
dark, and the dog was in unfamiliar territory. Going from one street to
another, through back yards all the way over to Great Plain Avenue,
Axel was on the suspect's trail, finally nailing the suspect at the
train station. After three or four months of
investigation, it was determined that the suspect had committed more
than 150 B&Es all over the Massachusetts and all the way up to New
Hampshire. He had been hard to catch because he would break
in at locations that were near public transportation, making it easy
for him to get away quickly. Kilrain says that was just one of many
rewarding investigations. At other times the partners
have been called out to find missing persons, including seniors with
Alzheimer's disease. "Our dogs track step for step
[ground tracks], says Kilrain. "Without a good start, it's hard to
establish the track." For instance, someone might say a suspect went
out a certain door, so that will be the starting point of the
investigation. Kilrain mentions that once outside, one
hour of direct sunlight ages a track 10 hours, so it's best to get an
early start. With Norfolk County covering 28
communities, Kilrain says, "It's a ton of work, but it's the best work
that's out there," and mentions that he appreciates Sheriff Michael G.
Bellotti's commitment to the K-9 Unit.
Falcone agrees, saying, "The sheriff's been really supportive of this K-9 Unit. And it's worth it because these guys do great work. They get called out a lot by local police departments." When asked about future career aspirations, Kilrain says, "Right now this is something I've always wanted to do. I'm very happy I have the opportunity to work with the K-9." |