'True Hero': K9 Dax Dies Days After Retirement Celebration

WAUKEGAN, IL — The veteran police dog who was forced into retirement following a job-related injury died Friday morning.

K9 Dax retired last month after suffering temporary paralysis during the apprehension of a fleeing teen in a wooded area of Zion.

Veterinarians diagnosed him with cervical, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disease, which was made worse by the March 3 chase.

Dax was able to regain the use of his hindquarters, but his team of vets determined he could not continue working as a police dog.

On Wednesday, he was honored with a public retirement ceremony at the sheriff's patrol division in Libertyville to celebrate his 10 years of service to the sheriff's office, during which he won numerous awards and was featured on various television programs.

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Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg asked members of the public to keep the family of Dax's handler, Deputy John Forlenza, in their thoughts and prayers.

“K9 Dax will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we are incredibly saddened by his passing," Idleburg said in a statement. "Dax will be remembered for the lives he saved, violent offenders he apprehended, and drugs he kept from being distributed in our community."

Forlenza issued a statement following Dax's retirement last month.

“There is no way to quantify or properly express what Dax’s service has meant to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake County community, his supporters across the nation, and especially me," Forlenza said. "But I cannot refrain from stating that his service has been exemplary, and most importantly, he has saved countless lives, including my own."

Earlier: K9 Dax Forced Into Retirement By Spinal Injury Suffered In Chase