K9 Askel – Shelby County, Alabama

Died – 2/5/21
Handler – Sgt. Jud Barnes

Barnes, SCSO say goodbye to another K9 partner

Sgt. Jud Barnes of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is the second SCSO officer this year to have to part with a longtime K9 partner. Patrol dog Aksel, a German Shepherd who passed away Feb. 5, served from 2009-2015 and was the same age as retired narcotics K9 Rocky, who died in January. Both were 13 years old, and both had become close companions of their handlers and their families in retirement. It was Aksel’s job to track and help capture the bad guys. “He put his life on the line doing that to keep us safe so we didn’t have to go in there,” Barnes said. In his prime Aksel was 107 pounds, and his fur standing on end would remind Barnes of a lion’s mane. He could be intimidating even to other officers. But considering his role, he was exactly the right kind of partner for Barnes. Anyone who wandered a bit too close to Barnes’ patrol car would find out rather quickly that Aksel was guarding the premises. If anyone came within a 10-foot radius of the car, Aksel would very vocally remind them that he was in the vehicle. An encroachment from as far as 15 feet out would result in growls. “He was very protective of me, and he was very protective of his police car. That was not my police car, that was his police car,” Barnes said. “That is exactly what he is supposed to do.” When Barnes was searching for a K9 partner, he already had three years’ experience under his belt from another agency. He temperament-tested several local dogs but couldn’t find one that suited him well. That all changed when he first encountered Aksel online and picked him out based on video trials. Aksel came from a kennel located in Leitchenstein, Germany. “The administration supported me in that decision and got him for me, and it was an amazing decision because that was the greatest dog I have ever seen in my life. We bonded immediately,” Barnes said. “The stars have to align because you have to have the perfect drives in a dog—prey, hunt and fight—but you also have to have a little bit of pack mentality as well so he will get along with your family.”

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Submitted By Jim Cortina

James A. Cortina has been involved with police dogs since 1972 and currently on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Jim has been appointed as Treasurer since its inception in 1991. Jim is one of the charter members of the C.P.W.D.A. organization. Since 1975 he has been a certified professional dog trainer and received his Master Trainer Certification in 1985. During his career he has provided armed K-9 strike crowd control for security agencies in Connecticut and out of state security companies. In conjunction with other members of the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Board of Directors, he helped to draft Connecticut Statute 53-247(e) "Intentional Injury or Killing of Police K-9" which was passed by the Senate in 1993 and also assisted in implementing the prestigious Daniel Wasson Memorial K-9 Award in 1992. In 1993 he helped coordinate the North American Police Work Dog Association Nationals in New London, Connecticut. He was appointed Training Director for the New London County Work Dog Association from 1985-1987. He performed decoy work for Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. in police K-9 demonstrations, trained several local police department canines, and coordinated training workshops for out-of-state police departments. He participated in the United States Police K-9 Association Trials in Croton on Hudson, New York in 1985 as a decoy. He is an avid photographer and received photography awards in 1989, 1990, and 1991 and currently takes photographs for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc.
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