Died – 10\/11\/16
\nHandler – Officer Jesse Padgett<\/p>\n
Merced officers say final farewell to K-9 officer<\/p>\n
During his six years with the Merced Police Department, the officer\u2019s unique skills to sniff out evidence and track down suspects made him a beloved part of the law enforcement team. Under the morning sunshine Wednesday, fellow officers gathered to remember Axle, who died suddenly of natural causes earlier this month. While his time with the department was not long by human standards, in dog years, the handsome, black German shepherd was a weathered veteran. The respected member of the department\u2019s K-9 unit is credited with participating in about 180 arrests and 170 patrol searches, said Sgt. Allan Ward. Jesse Padgett, the officer who worked with 8-year-old Axle and welcomed him into his own family, said the canine officers are able to help in ways no humans could. \u201cI just can\u2019t stress how important these dogs are to what we do,\u201d Padgett said. “Their ability with their noses is thousands of times better than humans,” Padgett said. And, when it came to protecting fellow officers, that\u2019s where Axle \u201creally shined,\u201d he said. \u201cHe knew when I was in danger,\u201d he said. \u201cI appreciate the loyalty he showed me.\u201dAxel\u2019s passing on Oct. 11 came out of the blue, Padgett said. Padgett told the Sun-Star that one morning, Axel threw up several times, so he took him in to see a veterinarian. It was dog bloat, a condition where the stomach twists, preventing the dog from eating, Ward explained. He said Axel went into surgery and died shortly after. \u201cIt was extremely sudden and completely unexpected,\u201d Padgett said. \u201cIt was something none of us saw coming.\u201d Officers and the Padgett family gathered at Franklin Pet Cemetery to honor Axle during a simple memorial service. Axle grew up with Padgett\u2019s two children, Jessica, 8, and Travis, 7. \u201cHe grew up in the middle of the kids,\u201d Padgett said. \u201cHe was almost like the middle kid.\u201d Added Jessica: \u201cHe was always nuzzling us before he went to work. He got a lot of back rubs.\u201d The children\u2019s grandmother, Lori Schuman, said she initially had reservations about having the dog join the family. But her concerns were quickly assuaged. \u201cHe just knew family,\u201d Schuman said. \u201cMaybe because he was raised with the family. The people just loved him.\u201d Padgett described Axle as a \u201cwell-balanced dog,\u201d because he had the skill of knowing when and where to turn off his work mode persona within minutes. \u201cTheir absolutely something special,\u201d Padgett said. \u201cIt\u2019s something a human partner can\u2019t replace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Died – 10\/11\/16 Handler – Officer Jesse Padgett Merced officers say final farewell to K-9 officer During his six years with the Merced Police Department, the officer\u2019s unique skills to sniff out evidence and track down suspects made him a beloved part of the law enforcement team. Under the morning sunshine Wednesday, fellow officers gathered …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2363,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[10],"class_list":["post-2361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-k9memorial","tag-ca"],"yoast_head":"\n