Lake County police dog wins national honor

Dax, one of the Lake County sheriff's office police dogs, won out from among more than 100 other dogs to be named in an online poll K9s of Valor Foundation's "K9 of the Year!"

K9 Dax and his handler, Deputy John Forlenza, were first selected by the foundation from among more than 100 nominated police dogs from around the country to be in the top 10, who would participate in the online poll, according to a sheriff's office news release. More than 9,500 votes from Jan. 27 to Feb. 4 propelled Dax into first place.

Dax's top accomplishments include finding a missing suicidal woman in the woods on a cold, rainy day; locating a dangerous domestic violence suspect that forced his way into a home and choked and battered a woman; and taking down a robbery suspect even after the suspect had punched Dax.

"I couldn't be prouder of K9 Dax and his partner Deputy Forlenza," Sheriff John Idleburg said. "Our four canine teams take great pride in serving the Lake County community. From finding missing endangered people or fleeing offenders to showing off their skills at community events, I'm convinced our four canine teams are among the best in the nation."

More information about the K9s of Valor is at https://www.k9sofvalor.org/.