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Tallmadge police dog Axel loses battle with cancer
For a cop, a dog is not just his best friend, he’s a trusted partner who has his back. A police K-9 can find a missing person, apprehend a criminal and bridge the gap between police and the community. The city announced Tallmadge Police K-9 Axel’s retirement Dec. 18 after serving the community more than seven years. He was scheduled to retire in 2020 but cancer forced an early end to his career. Sadly, retirement didn’t last long, and Axel died Thursday. Axel’s handler, Patrolman Nate Ickes, shared his thoughts Friday on the police department’s Facebook page. “It is with a very heavy heart I pass on to you that K9 Axel passed away late last night,” Ickes said. “He was able to spend his final day enjoying the beautiful weather and spent time with his family. Axel was an amazing K9 and while he was a hard-working and successful dope dog, he also brought smiles and excitement everywhere he went. I don’t think I ever saw him shy away from scratches behind the ears or belly rubs.” Tallmadge Police Chief Ron Williams said Axel will be missed. “He was a great dog and an asset to the community,” Williams said. “He did a great job. Every time he was in a competition, he brought home a trophy.” The German shepherd collapsed Nov. 4 and a cancerous tumor was discovered at Tallmadge Animal Hospital, which treats the city’s K-9 dogs for free. Axel, who turned 9 in July, had surgery at Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital in Copley to remove his spleen and the tumor on Nov. 8. But the cancer had spread to his blood, and Axel was receiving comfort care. “He enjoyed working,” Ickes said. “Axel loved being in the cruiser. The last couple of weeks have been tough. He wanted to go to work. He’d rather be in the cruiser and riding with me.” Williams said the city purchases the K-9 dogs but during their working life they live with their handlers and are family pets. “We have an agreement when a dog can no longer work, the handler buys the dog from the city for $1,” Williams said. Ickes has worked with Axel since the canine started with the department in 2012. The department has one other K-9, Kato, also a German shepherd, who went on duty this past May. Kato is 2 years old and from Germany. In July 2012, Axel was certified in everything but explosives and cadavers. He could do searches, criminal apprehension, tracking and narcotic detection. One of Axel’s jobs working in a small community was to bridge the gap between police and citizens. “Axel has a switch,” Ickes said. “He knows when to work and when it’s down time. He’s very friendly, especially with kids.” Axel had countless drug arrests and assisted in finding a missing person, Ickes said. “He had one apprehension with felling a suspect with a gun,” Ickes said. Because Axel was a dual purpose dog, he couldn’t search people and used a passive signal, Ickes said. Most of Axel’s work included searching the exterior of cars for drugs inside. He also located one of the biggest shake-and-bake meth labs in Summit County inside a house in 2012, one of his first alerts. Axel was a police dog but also a community dog. “They were allowed to pet him,” Ickes said. “He was their dog. He belonged to the city of Tallmadge.” The city is working to raise funds for a new dog. People can donate to Tallmadge all year round, but should earmark for the K-9 unit if they want the money to go to it, Mayor David Kline said. “Axel was so friendly, and Officer Ickes did a great job interacting with the public and going into the schools,” Kline said. “Our new K-9 Kato is doing extremely well.” The K-9 unit gives officers an upper hand, helps out by sniffing out drugs and is a great asset for the department, Kline said. “The city could live without a K-9 dog, but it’s an amazing program and works well and is successful,” Ickes said. The department sells T-shirts and accepts donations to offset the costs of maintaining the dogs. “He’s going to be missed,” Ickes said. “The next dog has some big shoes to fill. Axel has been an overall amazing dog for the department and the city. The next dog expectations will be set high.” Ickes said once he’s chosen a new dog, the training begins. “The first few weeks and months are always tough because you’re learning the dog and building trust,” Ickes said. “The dog is usually one step ahead and you have to step up.” With his experience handling Axel, Ickes has a better understanding of the thought process of a dog. “I’m hoping it will be easier, but before training, it will be finding the right the dog,” he said.
