Paw of Courage
The American Kennel Club Honors Three Fearless Canines With 2018 Paw of Courage Awards COURTESY OF THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB N ew York, New York—The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs, is proud to announce the recipients of the first 2018 AKC
his five-year career, but his real-world deployments and suc- cesses earned him the reputation of being the first choice when a criminal needed to be located and apprehended. In July of 2017, Dingo was attempting to apprehend a vio- lent parole fugitive wanted for theft, robbery and aggravated assault. Dingo was deployed when the suspect fled on foot and after a struggle, he was fatally injured. During his career, Dingo came to the aid of his handler, Sergeant Chad Reyes on numerous occasions. In one incident, while in pursuit of a fugitive, Dingo stepped in and appre- hended the suspect just before he pulled a loaded firearm from his pocket. As an officer, Dingo held the department record for felony arrests and apprehensions, but at home he was a true member of the family and enjoyed being anywhere
Paw of Courage awards to show appreciation for the working canines that put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe. This award specifically recognizes those who are serving or have served their departments honorably and have demonstrated heroism in the line of duty. “The inspiring stories of working canines touch our hearts every day,” said AKC Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo. “Each of these dogs serves as a testimony to the loyalty and courage that dogs bring our communities. The sacrifices they make to serve and protect do not go unnoticed and we are honored to award these three brave canines with the 2018 AKC Paw of Courage as a symbol of our gratitude.” Any working dog is eligible to receive an AKC Paw of Cour- age; the award is not specific to purebred dogs. To nominate a dog for the next set of Paw of Courage awards, click here. Recipients of the award, or their human partner, will receive a 2018 AKC Paw of Courage medal along with a certificate. In addition, the recipients will receive a photo and profile on http://www.akc.org. THE FIRST 2018 AKC PAW OF COURAGE AWARD RECIPIENTS ARE: K9 Max of San Diego Police Department, California K9 Max, five-year-old Belgian Malinois, served with the San Diego Police Department for two years at the time of his injury. In June of 2017, police officers responded to a radio call of a man acting bizarrely. Upon arrival, the suspect threat- ened the officers with a knife and fled. K9 Max was deployed to apprehend the suspect, but as he approached, Max was stabbed several times. After a bit of a struggle, the man was taken into custody. Max was treated at a local veterinary hos- pital and has since made a full recovery. In the two short years that Max has been with the San Diego Police Department, he has proven to be an exceptional K-9 officer with several apprehensions under his belt. K9 Max is back to work full-time with his handler, Officer Luis Car- bajal and has not had any medical issues since the incident. Officer Carbajal and the entire San Diego Police Department are proud to have this courageous canine helping to serve their community. K9 Dingo of the Unified Police of Greater Salt Lake, Utah K9 Dingo, a seven-year-old Belgian Malinois, was a dedicat- ed member of the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake. He was a multi-purpose police dog, trained and certi- fied in narcotics detection, building and area searches, crimi- nal apprehension, tactical deployments (SWAT) and evidence detection. Dingo had won many competitive awards during
Max
Max and his handler
190 • S how S ight M agazine , F ebruary 2018
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