Friends of Botetourt K9

03/12/2026

03/10/2026

Axin loves taking photos. Happy retirement crazy man. You will be missed by your Patrol Shift and your Emergency Response Team members.

03/10/2026

Axin will be enjoying retirement life now.

Today we honor and celebrate the retirement of K9 Axin, a loyal partner, protector, and valued member of our Sheriff’s Office family.

For five years, Axin faithfully served our community, trained in apprehension, narcotics detection, and tracking. During his career, he was assigned to the Emergency Response Team and worked with the U.S. Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF), assisting in numerous apprehensions and narcotics seizures, leaving a lasting impact on this agency and the citizens we serve.

Pictured here with his handler, Sergeant Smusz, and Sheriff Ward, Axin represents the dedication, courage, and teamwork that define our K9 program. The bond between Axin and Sgt. Smusz is built on trust, commitment, and countless hours of training and service together.

As Axin’s watch comes to a close, we’re grateful that he can retire and remain with his handler, Sgt. Smusz, and his family, the very people he has worked alongside and protected for the past five years. Now, he’ll trade callouts for quiet time at home, enjoying the love, comfort, and companionship of the family he’s always been a part of. There is no better ending to a K9’s career than staying with the partner who stood beside him every step of the way.

Please join us in celebrating K9 Axin and thank him for five years of dedicated service to our community. We wish him a happy and well-deserved retirement as he begins this new leash on life.

10/11/2025

Niko made an appearance at BOCO Night Out! 🐾
Our K-9s always love meeting the community that supports them. ❤️

Help support our furry friends by registering your team for the Friends of Botetourt K9 Golf Tournament at Ashley Plantation on October 18th! ⛳️

Register today at 👉 FOBK9.org

10/09/2025

Shoutout to Bank of Botetourt for being one of our Friends of Botetourt K9 Golf Tournament sponsors! 🐾⛳️

📍 Ashley Plantation Golf Course
📅 October 18th
👉 Register your team today at FOBK9.org

10/02/2025

Shoutout to Ivy Rehab in Daleville for being one of our Friends of Botetourt K9 Golf Tournament sponsors! 🐾⛳️

📍 Ashley Plantation Golf Course
📅 October 18th
👉 Register your team today at FOBK9.org

09/25/2025

🐾 Shout out to Botetourt Veterinary Hospital for always taking such great care of our K9 partners 💙🐕‍🦺 and for supporting us as a sponsor at the upcoming FOBK9 Golf Tournament. Oct. 18th, Ashley Plantation ⛳️🐾

Register your team at FOBK9.org.

09/15/2025

🌻 Niko having some fun at the Sunflower Festival.
🐾 The K9s will be out and about at our Golf Tournament ⛳️ Oct 18 | Ashley Plantation.

👉 Sign your team up now at FOBK9.org!

09/08/2025

Help support our furry friends, register your team for our Friends of Botetourt K9 Golf Tournament 🐾⛳ happening at Ashley Plantation on Saturday, October 18th.

👉 Sign up today at FOBK9.org!

09/03/2025

08/27/2025

🐾⛳️ K9 Nuka says THANK YOU to our friends at Munters for being the primary sponsor of the FOBK9 Golf Tournament! 💙

Grab your team and join us October 18th at Ashley Plantation! Register now at FOBK9.org 🏌️‍♂️🐕