September 30, 2010

I thought CCI dogs were about the most special dogs on earth, but then I found out there are dogs who are special and heroic.

Jax was one of those dogs.

The Castle Rock Police Department is dedicating a memorial statue of Jax on Saturday, October 2 at 10:30 a.m. at the police station in downtown Castle Rock.

While the memorial honors police dogs nationwide, the actual statue is of Jax. He was a beloved and valued member of the Castle Rock Police Department for six years, until his retirement in 2008.

According to an article in The News Press, Castle Rock police officer Seth Morrissey said, "Jax was called on 1,902 deployments, either searching for a person or illegal drugs or protecting a fellow officer."

Wow. I mean really, WOW.

Jax was a favorite with kids. He could go from serious-police-dog-focused-on-the-job to glad-to-be-petted-happy-dog when a child asked to pet him. He was a good ambassador for the Castle Rock police.

OK, here's the Kleenex moment. After Jax retired, he was formally adopted by his partner and best friend, Officer Todd Thompson. Jax died in May of this year. He spent his final moments in the back of Thompson's police cruiser, listening to the police radio with Thompson by his side.

Whew. Yeah, I warned you about the Kleenex, didn't I?

The members of Castle Rock Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #54 decided to commission a bronze statue of Jax and began raising funds right away. They met their goal of $10,000 within three months. They commissioned a marvelous local artist named Janene Di Rico-Cable to create the life-size bronze statue.

Janene is the perfect choice because she loves animals, especially dogs and horses. She says, "I cannot imagine my life without animals. They add a dimension to life that nothing else can."

Hear, hear. Well said, that. I can't wait to see her work and meet her in person!

Anyhow, I plan to be at the unveiling on Saturday and I hope you can make it too. Afterwards you can enjoy Oktoberfest, hosted by the Downtown Merchants Association of Castle Rock. There will be food, crafts, music, food, German beer and (I think) food. (Hey, I'm a dog - I live for food!) I hear there will be special things for kids, including a petting zoo, pony rides and face painting. I'm going to beg for a bratwurst and a pony ride.

UPDATE: I went to the ceremony and it was wonderful. I got to meet Janene and Officer Thompson and get my picture taken with the statue and everything. It was very cool, even the bagpipes, which kind of hurt my ears. Anyhow, click on the attached image for a slide show, or click here.

Chow for now!

Mars

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