Retired Thurston County Sheriff's Office K9 Jaxx has passed away, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday, Nov. 13.
K9 Jaxx was born in 2013 and joined the sheriff’s office in 2015 with Deputy Ditrich as his handler.
Under Ditrich’s extensive training, K9 Jaxx “quickly asserted himself as an emerging phenom,” Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said in a social media post.
After Ditrich was promoted to a different role, K9 Jaxx was transferred to Deputy Bagby and continued to excel.
K9 Jaxx retired in 2022 after seven years of faithful service to his handlers, deputies, victims, and greater Thurston County.
K9 Jaxx was responsible for the capture of countless suspects throughout his working career. He “became closest we will likely ever see to a ‘sure thing’ when he arrived on scene to track,” Sanders wrote. “Robberies, homicides, DUI’s, domestic violence, burglaries, hit and runs, assaults, warrants, auto thieves… After tracking alongside Jaxx and watching him and his handlers work for the better part of a decade, I watched as it became evident to those who attempted to evade K9 Jaxx that their capture was a matter of when — not if.”
Sanders continued, “Jaxx was the most prolific K9 this region has ever seen, and all those who benefited from the capabilities of him and his handlers owe them significant gratitude. He was truly a good boy who showed us all what public safety looked like in action.”
