K9 Axl – Burton, Michigan

Died – 4/3/23
Handler – Officer Brenden Stocker

K-9 officer dies due to cancer complications

A Burton Police Department K-9 officer has died after his health rapidly declined due to his recent diagnosis of lymphoma, according to Chief Brian Ross. The announcement was made on Tuesday, April 4 after the police department took the officer, Axl, to the Heritage Animal Hospital where he died. Ross said while they made efforts to prolong his life, his health rapidly declined. Axl was a 4-year-old German Shepherd, who started at the Burton Police Department on April 17, 2020.Axl and his partner, Officer Brenden Stocker, were certified through the National Association of Professional Canine Handlers. Their certifications included tracking, narcotic detection, building search, area and article search, and obedience. ”While Axl’s life was short, his impact on the City of Burton has been profound,” Ross said. “Axl was responsible for the tracking and apprehension of several criminals. He detected numerous types and amounts of narcotics. Most importantly, Axl was able to track and rescue multiple lost individuals including children and the elderly. With the hard work of both Officer Stocker and Axl, many lives have been saved.” Ross said they thank the community for all of their support.

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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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