The Duluth Police Department, along with the Northland K9 Foundation, had sad news to report Monday.

Retired Duluth Police K-9 Oakley has passed away and just a few months shy of his 11th birthday. K-9 Oakley was a fan favorite at their Operation K-9 events. In fact, they report that he was there at their very first one.

They shared a fantastic tribute to this hero Facebook, which said in part that "K-9 Oakley served from 2012-2019 as a dual purpose dog, trained in both narcotics detection and human apprehension. His career highlights ranged from assisting with a multi-agency sting that resulted in the arrests of more than 30 of the Twin Ports’ more notorious drug offenders, to successfully tracking - in back-to-back shifts - two motorcycle riders who'd caused various problems in unrelated incidents."

Duluth Police Department Facebook
Duluth Police Department Facebook
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His longtime partner and "dad", Marc Johnson shared a long and moving tribute, which said in part:

"One of the most powerful lessons Oakley taught me was how to serve others. For the better part of a decade, Oakley served the Duluth community with a fire that burned deep in his belly. As I began preparing for work each night, he’d anxiously wait for me by the door- refusing to be left behind and eager for another opportunity to protect his partners and safeguard his city. He served his community with love, loyalty, and a passion that could not be matched. He brought joy to thousands while simultaneously making Duluth a safer city in which to live. There was no greater joy for Oakley than to go to work with me and do what he loved doing most: protecting good and deterring evil. In return, he never asked for anything more than the occasional head scratch and a fresh tennis ball. He was the epitome of selflessness."

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Duluth Police Department Facebook
Duluth Police Department Facebook
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You can see the full tribute and even more fantastic pictures of Duluth Police K-9 Oakley through their Facebook post.

I would like to thank Oakley for his amazing service and for being not only fantastic and important member of the Duluth Police Department, but for also being an unbelievable friend to our Northland community. Rest In Peace, sweet boy.

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