Polk County K-9 Officer Passes Away

The Sheriff's Office says K-9 Rex had been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease.

POLK COUNTY, MN (KVRR) – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has announced, with heavy hearts, that one of their K-9 officers has died.

Sheriff James Tadman says that K-9 Rex, a 7-year-old Belgian Malinois/German Shepard mix, recently was diagnosed with Lyme disease and had begun to suffer from kidney failure. To minimize the animal’s pain, the decision was made to put Rex down.

Rex had been with the department since 2021 under the guidance of handler Sgt. Ben Stout. The department says Rex was a valuable asset and will be missed.

Rex passed away on February 8, 2026.