Diesel, a K9 officer who retired in August from the Cobb County Police Department, died over the March 10 weekend.
A Belgian Malinois from Czechoslovakia, Diesel was born on April 23, 2006 and paired with his new handler Officer Mark Blakeney on Feb. 12, 2007.
Together they began a rigorous 12-week police canine training program that culminated in their first national certification with the North American Police Work Dog Association.
They obtained nearly 5,000 hours of canine training during their partnership.
Over the course of their career together, K9 Diesel and Blakeney successfully completed numerous additional national certifications in narcotics detection, tracking, criminal apprehension and evidence recovery through the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association and North American Police Work Dog Association, often holding two certifications per year.
In their 10 years together, K9 Diesel and Blakeney tracked and located more than 100 criminals to include burglars, armed robbers and murder suspects and found more than 15 guns used in the commission of those crimes.
They also made nearly 400 narcotics arrests, seized $1.5 million in drug money and detected greater than $13.2 million in illegal narcotics.
Diesel spent his retirement, living with Blakeney and his family.
