K9 Axel – Queensland, Australia

Handler – Sergeant Dave Raymond

Police farewell loyal service dog, Axel, after short cancer battle

It is with the heaviest of hearts that Queensland Police Service has this week farewelled retired Police Dog (PD) ‘Axel’. After a short battle with cancer, Sergeant Dave Raymond and the Raymond family had to say their goodbyes to their beloved family member.PD Axel was a well known member of the Far North community, commencing his career in Cairns after graduating in 2015 and retiring November 2022. Partnered with Officer in Charge and 25-year veteran within the Cairns Dog Squad, PD Axel was the fourth police dog for handler Sergeant Dave Raymond.Axel’s time within the ’Paw Enforcement’ saw him locate countless offenders and missing people throughout his career. No stranger to posing for a photo or video camera, PD Axel became a favorite amongst the community and the state with his Halloween dress up photos, which even continued after his retirement last year.Still coming to terms with the passing of PD Axel, Sergeant Raymond said the loss of your best mate never gets any easier.“I will terribly miss having him at home. He was especially close to my children and was always sneaking into the house to steal the cat food,” said Sergeant Raymond.“I will especially miss his distinctive howl. He would belt that out whenever he heard a siren, even if it was on the television.” When asked to recall memorable jobs with Axel, Sergeant Raymond said the list was long.“We tracked into a cane paddock where we came face to face with an armed man. It only took one bark from Axel, and he instantly dropped the knife,” he said.“On another occasion we went to a job where a lady had her passport, cash and car stolen just hours before she was due to catch a plane to the United Kingdom. Axel and I were quick on the job, and he managed to track and locate the offenders. The best part was being able to return the property to the lady so she could continue with her trip.”

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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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