The Mayes County Sheriff's Office said Monday evening they found their missing K9 officer dead in Strang, OK.
"It's very sad," Max’s handler and partner Deputy Travis Fleming told FOX23.
Max had been missing since Sunday afternoon. Fleming told FOX23
someone called the sheriff's office and reported an animal lying in the roadway. Max was
found dead alongside a road in Strang on Monday night. Fleming said they do not know the cause of death at this time.
The Mayes County Sheriff’s Office reported 9-year-old black Labrador retriever, Max, missing around 3:30 p.m. on November 11th in Strang, OK.
Fleming said he put Max in his outdoor kennel around 6 a.m. Sunday. Fleming said he discovered the dog was gone around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.
“The kennel latch was unlocked, the door was closed and Max was gone,” said Fleming.
On Sunday night deputies and residents searched the area for Max.
“We had several deputies come in on their off time and help look for him.” Fleming said that he and other deputies searched miles of county roads and knocked on neighbors’ doors. “I continued to look for him past dark and into the night, but we didn’t find anything.”
The Mayes County Undersheriff, Albert McKee, said that Max is the only trained narcotics dog that the Mayes County Sherriff’s Office owns.
“He’s just another officer out there trying to get drugs off of the street," said McKee.
Deputy Fleming said Max was an irreplaceable partner.
