Centralia Police Department officer Ruben Ramirez will retire alongside his K9 partner Pax at the end of this month, interim Centralia Police Chief Andy Caldwell announced during the Tuesday, Jan. …
Unlock unlimited access for just $1 for your first month
Please log in to continue |
Centralia Police Department officer Ruben Ramirez will retire alongside his K9 partner Pax at the end of this month, interim Centralia Police Chief Andy Caldwell announced during the Tuesday, Jan. 14, Centralia City Council meeting.
“Most people in the community know Pax and Officer Ramirez. The K9 program is an essential part of our community-oriented policing, but beyond the community-oriented policing, it’s also pivotal to our law enforcement operations and protecting the quality of life in our community,” Caldwell said.
He said it was difficult to describe the relationship between a K9 handler and his dog, and read a poem he said he felt conveyed the feeling — “K9” by Rashelle Hintz.
Ramirez has been with the Centralia Police Department for more than 23 years and has trained and worked with multiple police service dogs in the past, including K9s Lobo and Vida.
In addition to serving as a police officer, Ramirez is also heavily involved with many local nonprofit efforts, including the Lewis County Law Enforcement Torch Run and Icicle Brigade polar plunge events benefiting Special Olympics Washington.
“I don’t think Officer Ramirez wants to come up here, but I do want to acknowledge that he is in the gallery here this evening. He is one of those individuals who has dedicated decades of service to his community,” Caldwell said. “... He has a heart that is unbelievable, and he is going to be a tremendous loss for our agency.”
Together as a team, Ramirez and Pax were deployed 287 times for vehicle and narcotics searches, apprehensions, evidence searches, patrol searches, currency sniffs and school demonstrations.
They also carried out an additional 97 search warrants and 24 consensual searches.
In total, Ramirez and Pax were responsible for taking 13.5 pounds of cocaine off the streets along with 34.5 pounds of heroin, 189.67 pounds of methamphetamine and approximately 20,000 fentanyl pills.
Additionally, more than $100,000 used for illegal drug trafficking and many illegal firearms were seized during their searches.
“Pax is absolutely an amazing individual, and it’s nothing short of the relationship he has with his handler, Officer Ramirez,” Caldwell said.
Following Caldwell’s comments and some from the council thanking the team — including from Councilor Adriana Garibay, who thanked him in both English and Spanish on behalf of Centralia and the local Hispanic community — Ramirez received a standing ovation from the council and those in attendance during Tuesday’s meeting.
Both Ramirez and Pax will be retired as of Jan. 31, 2025. Ramirez joined the Centralia Police Department as a reserve officer in April 1998 before joining the department full time in September 2001.
Pax, who joined the Centralia Police Department in November 2017 and is now 8 years old, is being retired due to a medical issue. A typical police service dog works on average seven to nine years before being retired.
He has been diagnosed with masticatory myositis, an immune system disorder that causes the dog’s immune system to attack its masticatory muscles, or the jaw muscles.
The exact cause of this disorder is unknown, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. Symptoms can include pain for the dog when opening its jaw, difficulty eating, chewing and picking up toys, excessive drooling, sunken or protruding eyes, lethargy and vocal changes.
While there is no cure, treatment can be administered to address symptoms, and K9 Pax has been receiving treatment for his condition, the agenda report added.
Masticatory myositis can occur in any breed of dog, although it is known to occur more frequently in several breeds, including Belgian malinois and German shepherds, according to VCA Animal Hospitals.
The Centralia Police K9 Association will pay for Pax’s replacement using donations.
Aside from Pax and Ramirez, the other K9 unit in the Centralia Police Department is Centralia police officer Kyle Stockdale and K9 Havik, according to the city’s website.