Debate is underway over a Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy being stripped of his K-9 duties and hoping to adopt his former partner as a pet. The consensus is doggedly in favor of keeping the team together.
Deputy Kevin Gauer stranded his K-9 partner, Axel, in a field off Route 176 near Lake Bluff when the handler went off to answer what Sheriff’s Office command staff considered a “low priority” call. That was after the deputy and dog played catch for about 20 minutes.
When the deputy went to answer the call, he then backed up a fellow deputy on a traffic stop. During this lapse, Axel was left by his lonesome until a random walker happened by the field and spotted the loose dog lounging in the grass.
The walker recovered it, noticed it was a Sheriff’s Office K-9, and called officials about the unattended 6-year-old German shepherd. Have to say the person who took command of the dog must be fearless. I’ve seen police dogs in action, and they are scary when on duty.
All of this happened in May, with news of the incident of the forgotten animal breaking earlier this month and the dog’s “retirement” from the office. After what authorities termed “an extensive investigation” by the sheriff’s Office of Professional Standards, Gauer lost his K-9 assignment and was cited for several policy violations, along with receiving a letter of reprimand in his permanent file.
Since then, an online Change.Org petition urging that Gauer be allowed to adopt Axel as a pet is garnering signatures daily. As of last count this week, more than 3,400 people have signed up online calling for the dog to have “a peaceful retirement at home with his handler and family.”
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Also, the K-9 has been housed at a local canine training facility until officials decide if another law enforcement entity would take control of the dog, which is possible. Gauer went to court seeking a preliminary injunction to keep the dog in his care, according to an Aug. 18 front-page News-Sun story by Steve Zalusky.
A judge denied that plea on Aug. 3, and legal wrangling continues. Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Chris Covelli told Zalusky: “The situation created a serious and unacceptable safety risk for both Axel and the public. We are extremely fortunate that Axel, the individual who found him, and everyone else involved were unharmed.”
In the military, there is a mantra drilled into mainly combat arms personnel: Leave no man behind. Everyone is accounted for and not abandoned, regardless of what happens.
Gauer failed in that task. Then he compounded the negligence by telling a supervisor Axel was in the patrol car with him, according to Zalusky’s account.
When the supervisor told him to physically check for Axel, he realized the K-9 was missing, Covelli said. Gauer’s supporters are calling deserting the dog “an unfortunate on-duty incident.”
Yes, it is unfortunate that the incident happened and that the deputy and his family have lost a highly trained partner Gauer has bonded with for the past four years. But he left his “man” behind, and there are consequences for bad decisions.
Authorities maintain Axel is fit for duty and is only retired specifically from the Sheriff’s Office. In a statement, Covelli noted: “Axel is healthy, capable of continuing to work, and is expected to have several years of productive service life remaining. Several law enforcement agencies have expressed interest in acquiring Axel.”
Supporters of keeping Axel and Gauer as a team in retirement argue losing the dog was “excessive punishment” for both. Axel should not be punished for handler error, they maintain.
Yet, if Axel is still fit for service, there is no reason not to use the skills he has acquired at another police agency. The Sheriff’s Office has invested thousands of dollars in intense eight-week training sessions. Sheriff John Idleburg has been a fervent supporter of the use of K-9s.
Canine teams in the Sheriff’s Office and several police departments patrol all across Lake County. K-9s are an asset to communities.
They have been responsible for locating hundreds of missing people, tracking suspects, finding discarded firearms or other evidence, and sniffing out illegal drugs. They have proven track records when on patrol.
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Not putting Axel back on duty would be a crime if, in fact, he remains spry and able to perform police tasks with a new partner.
Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor, and editor. [email protected]. X @sellenews