Lima Police Department K-9 Unit

04/09/2026

Special Thank You to K9 Down Project for this beautiful drawing of K9 Axe

Drawing #228

K9 Axe (German Shepherd) of the Lima Police Department in Ohio, passed away on January 30, 2026. K9 Axe and his handler graduated K9 Academy in 2024 and were assigned to 3rd shift. During his career K9 Axe's deployments led to the seizure of many dangerous narcotics and the apprehension of hundreds of suspects, keeping the City of Lima and its citizens safe. He fearlessly protected his handler and the other officers without hesitation. K9 Axe also knew where to get the best snacks! Whether he was being snuck food from the LT or bullying the Sgt. for his breakfast, K9 Axe never went hungry when he was on station. K9 Axe was the first to greet the day shift at the back door and es**rt them down the hallway. He knew when it was time to play and there was never a doubt that he knew when it was time to work. Even though his career was cut short due to cancer, K9 Axe left a huge impact on everyone that knew and worked with him. For as much as K9 Axe meant to the Lima Police Dept, he meant even more to his handler and his family. He loved to spend time with the family's kids almost more than he did his handler. Whether he was playing with the ball or assisting joggers on their morning runs around the block, K9 Axe was loved by everyone he came in contact with.

R.I.P. K9 Axe and thank you for your faithful and dedicated service.
EOW: 1-30-2026
K9 Axe will be es**rted home to his handler on 4-9-2026
Size 11x14

03/27/2026

Thank you to Elida Elementary for allowing us to show off some of our skills! We enjoyed hanging out with you guys!

03/05/2026

Special thank you to the Findlay Monument Co. for gifting this memorial stone in remembrance of K9 Axe.

02/25/2026

🐾🚓 We had a great time visiting Liberty Arts Magnet today for a K9 demo! The kids enjoyed meeting our K9s and learning how they help keep our community safe. Thank you for having us!

02/19/2026

Lima Police Department K9s Creed, Nado, and Roscoe to get donation of body armor

Lima Police Department, OH - K9s Creed, Nado, and Roscoe will receive bullet and stab protective vests thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. All the vests were sponsored by the Survival Armor incentive program and will be embroidered with the sentiment “Gifted by Vested Interest in K9s and Survival Armor”. Delivery is expected within ten weeks.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. This potentially lifesaving body armor for four-legged K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and National Institute of Justice (NIJ) certified. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 6,348 vests valued at $6.9 million to K9s in all 50 states, made possible by both private and corporate donations.

The program is open to U.S. dogs at least 20 months old, actively employed, and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount, while a single donation of $1,050 will sponsor one vest. Each vest has a value of $1800.00, weighs an average of 4-5 lbs., and comes with a five-year warranty. For more information, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call (508) 824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org, or you may mail your contribution to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.

01/31/2026

We are saddened to announce the passing of our beloved K9 Axe. K9 Axe and his handler, Ptl Wireman, graduated K9 Academy in 2024 and were assigned to 3rd shift. During his career K9 Axe's deployments led to the seizure of many dangerous narcotics and the apprehension of hundreds of suspects, keeping the City of Lima and its citizens safe. He fearlessly protected Ptl Wireman and the other officers without hesitation. K9 Axe also knew where to get the best snacks! Whether he was being snuck food from Lt Luedeke or bullying Sgt Sprouse for his breakfast, K9 Axe never went hungry when he was on station. K9 Axe was the first to greet the day shift at the back door and es**rt them down the hallway. K9 knew when it was time to play and there was never a doubt that he knew when it was time to work. Even though his career was cut short due to cancer, K9 Axe left a huge impact on everyone that knew and worked with him. Our thoughts go out to Ptl Wireman and his family. For as much as K9 Axe meant to the Lima Police Dept, he meant even more to Ptl Wireman and his Family. He loved to spend time with Ptl Wireman's kids almost more than he did Ptl Wireman. Whether he was playing in the ball or assisting joggers on their morning runs around the block, K9 Axe was loved by everyone he came in contact with. K9 Axe you will be greatly missed by the K9 Unit and the Lima Police Dept, Thank you for your service!

11/23/2025

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Sgt Gill and his family as they grieve the loss of K9 Eyk! Though we are different departments we trained together and worked together! Thank you for your service to the City of Lima, you will be missed! May you always run fast and bite hard K9 Eyk!

11/15/2025

Members of the K9 unit were invited to Perry Elementary to showcase some of our skills and tricks! We want to say thank you to the 1st grade class for hanging out with us and giving us much welcomed pets! Perry Local Schools

10/22/2025

Members of the K9 unit were invited to Allen East Elementary. The team showed some of their skills and answered questions from kids! We just wanted to say thank you to the Allen East 1st graders for hanging out with us today!

10/03/2025

This week, our K-9 Unit trained alongside teams from across the U.S. and Canada at the annual NAPCH seminar. From tracking and searches to narcotics detection and suspect apprehension, our handlers and K-9s went through advanced scenarios designed to sharpen their skills. Training like this helps us keep Lima’s streets safer every day. 🐾👮‍♂️

Our K-9 team is proudly made up of:
• Sgt. Torres & K9 Nado
• Sgt. Engle & K9 Dre
• Ptl. Patton & K9 Roscoe
• Ptl. Noftz & K9 Miko
• Ptl. Wireman & K9 Axe
• Ptl. Stolly & K9 Creed
• Sgt. Osting & K9 Myla

08/06/2025

Thank you, Lima community, for coming out and enjoying the evening with us!

Our K-9 unit had a great time showing off their skills—and our dogs definitely enjoyed all the extra belly rubs! We appreciate your continued support and as always we can’t wait until next time!