GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — The Gaston County Police Department is mourning the loss of one of their retired police K9s.
According to the department, K9 Pax passed away on Tuesday, March 23. K9 Pax, a German shepherd, had served with the Gaston County Police K9 Unit from 2010 until 2016.
K9 Pax came from Canine Extreme Inc. based in Ocala, Florida. He was a certified police dog through the American Police Canine Association. He was certified in obedience, apprehension/handler protection, narcotics detection, area searches, tracking, article searches, and building searches.
During his tenure with the department, K9 Pax worked with three different handlers:
- Captain J. Leatherwood
- Sgt. A. J. Isenhour
- Sgt. R. L. Waldrop
K9 Pax was responsible for over 120 K9-related arrests. He conducted numerous tracks and apprehended several individuals. K9 Pax not only served the citizens of Gaston County but provided his abilities to several partner agencies. On several occasions, he assisted in investigations for state and federal agencies. He was responsible for seizing over $75,000 in illegal narcotics during his career.
K9 Pax enjoyed his retirement while living with former K9 Handler Captain W. P. Downey. K9 Pax was 14 years old at the time of his death.
