By Lindsay Tice,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – In seven years, Sarge became a lot of things to a lot of people.

To Lewiston police, he was an intense police dog whose bark intimidated even violent criminals. To the community, he was the furry face of the police department who marched in parades and let schoolchildren pet him.

But to officer Timothy Morin, Sarge’s handler, the German shepherd was everything: work, family and pet, all in one.

“I didn’t just lose my partner,” Morin said. “I lost my devoted friend.”

Sarge, one of the first police dogs in Lewiston, died over the weekend. He was 10 years old and had cancer.

Sarge entered the police force when he was 2. He’d had other owners, but was too energetic for them.

“Sarge was a handful. He was very active,” Morin said. “He would rip out any kennel.”

At the same time, Lewiston was starting a police dog program. Morin thought the work sounded interesting.

Even if he was a little afraid of dogs.

“I was scared to death,” Morin said. “He was a big dog, intimidating.”

That fear stopped the day he brought Sarge home. They bonded.

Morin and Sarge spent weeks in training, covering obedience, tracking and controlled aggression. He later trained in narcotics detection.

Sarge learned quickly. So did the criminals. One even jumped out a window, into the waiting arms of police, just to avoid a barking Sarge.

“Nobody wants to mess with a dog, They’ll mess with four officers before a dog,” Morin said.

Sarge was devoted to the work, snapping to attention when Morin put on his uniform or when the phone rang in the middle of the night. He was equally devoted to Morin’s protection, at one point earning the nickname “Shadow.”

Morin changed his life to accommodate his furry partner. He bought an SUV so Sarge could have a comfortable space to ride in. He brought Sarge everywhere, from Thanksgiving dinners to birthday parties, so the dog wouldn’t have to be alone.

“He was always there, and my friends and family expected him like my child,” Morin said.

When Morin and his wife, Sarah, began to have children, they made sure Sarge was comfortable with that, too. After his son was born, Morin brought home the baby blanket so Sarge could get used to his scent.

Morin’s son and daughter never had a problem. At home, he was a laid-back family pet who liked to swim, and play in the snow with the kids.

Because Sarge was so good at turning from police dog to family dog, he became a kind of mascot for the department. He visited schools to help teach kids about safety. He walked in parades and put his paw print on a new state law that helped bring bulletproof vests to police dogs.

Patrolling always remained a passion, though. Over the years, he found dozens of missing people, hunted down numerous criminals and sniffed out hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drugs.

When Sarge began to slow down recently, Morin thought the years were just catching up with them. At 10, Sarge was one of the oldest police dogs still on active duty.

“Sarge, I believe, didn’t want to give me the indication he was sick,” Morin said

Morin, Sarge and the family were on vacation in Rangeley last week when Sarge got sick and had trouble moving. Morin rushed him to a veterinarian in Lewiston.

They found his lungs were full of cancer. There was nothing they could do.

Morin brought Sarge home so he could say good-bye. Then the vet put him to sleep.

It devastated the family, including Morin’s 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.

“My daughter keeps asking where her doggy is,” Morin said.

Days after Sarge’s death Morin sent out an e-mail to 50 friends and family to let them know what happened.

“I am still in shock and very upset,” he wrote. “Sarge was just a dog to some of you, but many of you felt as we do; he had a soul, a personality and a definite attitude.”

The e-mail was forwarded and Morin got condolences from people he didn’t know but who had been touched by Sarge over the years. Many asked about a memorial service.

Morin isn’t sure what he will do about a service – some of that will be up to the Police Department – but he definitely wants to have one.

“Sarge was very public,” he said. “So I would like to do something very elegant.”

Morin also isn’t sure whether he’ll continue with the police dog program. With Sarge gone, he’s not sure if he wants to.

“We had such a good, good run,” he said.

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