Gone but remembered, city takes
time to mark passing of retired K9
VINELAND – The city is remembering Carlos, a German Shepherd who spent most of a decade as part of the police K9 unit before retiring in 2019.
Carlos died on Dec. 4, 2021. He had spent his retirement at the home of his longtime partner, Officer Dwight Adams.
Public Safety Director Edwin Alicea presented Adams with an “End of Watch” plaque, bearing the profile of Carlos, at a brief ceremony at the City Council meeting Tuesday night.
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“We recognize as officers how important these K9s are,” said Alicea, a retired Glassboro officer. “They (are) not only a tool for our officers. They become a partner. They become family members.”
The memorial plaque has a short verse from the Book of Isaiah, 6:8, concerning a man who asks God to find him worthy to be sent on a mission.
“These K9s risk their lives to protect our officers and our officers rely heavily on their dog’s ability to be there for them when they’re needed,” Alicea said. “They will stop at absolutely nothing to protect a handler and to do their job.”
Bred in the Netherlands, Carlos graduated the Atlantic County K9 in spring 2011 and made his first pinch in October 2012. He went on to take part in more than 658 assignments as both a patrol K9 and a narcotics detection dog.
Some career highlights included being part of a team that won the “Sonny” Burke Award for performance and dedication. He also was spotlighted in the 2014 Cops & Dogs calendar.
Carlos retired in September 2019. Adams remains with the K9 Unit.
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey more than 30 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.
Have a tip? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com. Help support local journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Vineland Daily Journal: City recalls dog that found home, police career in Vineland
copied from Yahoo news
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