On December 11, 2017, Lebanon Police Department K9 Max succumbed to cancer when he was euthanized after a long and courageous battle. K9 Max, a Belgian Malinois, joined the department in 2007 and was trained by his handler, Officer Jeremy Perkins. K9 Max spent the next ten years in dedicated service to the Lebanon Police Department, the City of Lebanon and our residents.
Over the years, K9 Max was responsible for countless drug seizures, apprehensions and rescues. All Lebanon Police K9 teams train at the Vermont Police Academy and on several occasions, Officer Perkins and K9 Max were awarded the Vermont Police K9 Patrol Team of the Year award.
This past year, K9 Max had several surgeries to remove cancerous tumors from his body. Despite his cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment, K9 Max continued to work along with Officer Perkins and they were an effective team until the very end. In November, K9 Max underwent a serious and invasive surgery to remove another cancerous tumor. Within a week of that surgery, K9 Max was back on patrol with Officer Perkins continuing to battle and continuing to serve our City.
K9 Max spent his last day on patrol with his handler doing his duty, as he did for the last ten years. At approximately 1:00PM, K9 Max and Officer Perkins arrived at the Stonecliff Animal Hospital where K9 Max entered the facility through a receiving line of police officers rendering a salute. After his passing, K9 Max was given his last radio call before being escorted by Lebanon Police cruisers to SAVES in Lebanon, where he was given one final send off before being cremated.