Dog lovers across Illinois last week mourned the death of Dax, the celebrated K-9 cop. They also became a tad verklempt for his partner, Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy John Forlenza.
Handling a police dog is a special job, and Forlenza worked with Dax serving Lake County residents for nearly 10 years. Putting a pet down is not a pleasant task, as many of you know firsthand.
They are a part of your family, that close-knit pack dogs normally join with relish. For Forlenza, the decision to have his partner, someone who had his back daily, euthanized by a veterinarian must have been an extremely tough decision.
Yet, no one wants to see an animal in pain. Dax obviously was suffering from injuries he received in the line of duty.
“There is no way to quantify or properly express what Dax’s service has meant to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake County community, his supporters across the nation, and especially me,” Forlenza said in a statement. “But I cannot refrain from stating that his service has been exemplary, and most importantly, he has saved countless lives, including my own. I am proud to have been his handler and best friend for the last nine years.”
The dog was euthanized on April 12, two days after he was recognized by the sheriff’s office in a retirement ceremony, Clifford Ward reported in a front-page News-Sun story the other day. The German shepherd, aka Alsatian, had been forced into retirement after being injured as he and Forlenza apprehended a suspect early last month in unincorporated Zion.
The K-9 was paralyzed in his hindquarters, but did regain the ability to function. However, veterinarians diagnosed him with a spinal disc condition and it was determined he would not be able to return to duty.
Back and spine problems are common ailments German shepherds suffer, even those that lounge on couches and don’t track down criminals during their on-duty shifts. They are prone to hip dysplasia, which can lead to arthritis, and degenerative spinal stenosis, according to social media sites for owners of the breed.
“K-9 Dax will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we are incredibly saddened by his passing,” Sheriff John Idleburg said in a statement. Idleburg has been a long-time supporter of the use of K-9s in police work.
Hopefully, the sheriff will see that Forlenza gets a replacement if he wants another K-9 partner. As one who has owned various dogs and breeds over the decades, that too is a hard choice to make for one who has had to have a canine companion euthanized.
With the death of Dax, the sheriff’s office has six K-9 cops remaining in the field: Boomer, Duke, Danno, Ryker, Echo and Axel. They and their handlers repeatedly have been proven law enforcement successes for Lake County residents, Idleburg has noted.
Dax was a rock star in the K-9 community, getting universal recognition for his service. He joined the sheriff’s office in the spring of 2015 when he was 13 months old after an intense eight-week initial training program at Tops K9 in Grayslake.
According to the sheriff’s office, that training consists of canine psychology, obedience, agility, tracking, scent detection and more. Then, dogs and partners train as a team until they are ready for duty. Dax was born in the Czech Republic, another immigrant to embrace the U.S. and do good.
According to the sheriff’s office, the team of Dax and Forlenza located more than 400 criminal suspects, along with people who were missing or endangered. They discovered hundreds of kilos of illegal drugs worth millions of dollars; they seized dozens of firearms discarded by offenders; and participated in hundreds of community and school demonstrations.
An enterprising screenwriter might want to take a run at turning Dax’s distinguished police career into a Hollywood project. It might turn out better than some of the recent movies hitting theaters of late.
We all had our indoctrination to screen canine stars like Lassie, an aspiring K-9, and Rin Tin Tin, the legendary canine who hung out at Fort Apache with the cavalry in an ABC-TV series in the 1950s.
There is precedent for recent films featuring and starring police dogs. In 1989, there were “Turner & Hooch” with Tom Hanks and a French mastiff as partners, and “K-9,” with Chicagoan Jim Belushi; the 2021 Netflix movie “Rescued by Ruby,” the true story of a Rhode Island state trooper’s adoption of a shelter dog that became his canine partner; and most recently, “Dog,” co-directed by Channing Tatum who co-starred with a Belgian Malinois combat veteran war dog.
Don’t know about anybody else, but I’d stand in line at a Marcus Theatre to see the on-screen exploits of good dog Dax and his partner Forlenza.
Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor and editor.
sellenews@gmail.com
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