I have had the opportunity to train and work with Dax and his handler. I can tell you for certain that Dax is not vicious and aggressive, as mentioned in the Express article.
I have seen Dax around other dogs and Dax is not aggressive towards all dogs. Dax is a very people-friendly dog, and as mentioned in the article he is not trained to be a bite-dog or attack-dog, as some people call them. Yes, I agree, Dax is a police dog and he is held to a higher standard. He should not be aggressive toward other dogs but, unfortunately, he is a dog and he is not perfect.
What needs to be mentioned is the amount of drugs that have been removed from our community as a direct result of Dax and his handler. I believe it is safe to say that hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drugs are no longer in our community due to the actions of Dax. To consider retiring or putting Dax down would be ludicrous. This dog and his handler have contributed more to this community than most of us do in a lifetime and I encourage the Sun Valley Police Department to continue to support Dax and his handler.
I am sure there will be procedures put in place so Dax doesn't take a bite out of another dog but remember, Dax is a dog and that's just the way it works in the animal kingdom. I think the good he does way outweighs the bad.
Johnny Unser
Sun Valley