It’s time for four of SAPOL’s most dedicated canine officers to enjoy a life off the leash with police dogs Jax, Axe, Chaos and Xera retiring from duty.
PD Jax (right) joined SAPOL in 2017 after being acquired from German Shepherd Dog Rescue SA.
Many will remember Jax’s brave battle with pyothorax - a condition characterised by fluid accumulation in the chest - back in 2023.
True to his determined nature, PD Jax bounced back and returned to duty stronger than ever.
Over his career, PD Jax was deployed 1189 times, helping to locate 186 people and recover more than 100 items of property.
PD Axe started training at just eight weeks old and went on to serve nearly seven years as a general-purpose police dog.
In July, PD Axe was awarded the Working Dog Federation of Australia Community Award for Excellence at its running of the national championships held in South Australia – a true testament to his dedication.
PD Axe was deployed 852 times, locating 193 people and 94 items.
PD Chaos (left) joined SAPOL in 2020 through the Puppy Development Program and graduated as a police dog in 2022.
In her years as an operational police dog, she was deployed 669 times and located 81 persons and numerous amounts of property.
PD Xera (right) joined SAPOL from the Australian Border Force breeding program in
2017 and went on to graduate as a Passive Alert Detection Dog later that year.
With 1151 deployments under her collar, she located illicit substances to the value of $3.3 million dollars.
PD Xera served the community at a very high level and was responsible for significant seizures resulting in many drug trafficking arrests.
PDs Jax, Axe and Chaos retire and will stay with their former handlers, while PD Xera leaves the frontline for a peaceful retirement with family members.
SAPOL thanks them for their unwavering commitment, courage and contribution to community safety. Enjoy the well-deserved rest and belly rubs!
This article was prepared by South Australia Police and has been reproduced with permission.
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