ATLANTIC CITY-- The Atlantic City Police Department's K-9 unit is mourning the loss of one of their own and looking to the future.

“It's a partnership like no other," Captain James Pasquale, Commander of the Atlantic City Police Department's K-9 unit explains, saying one of his fellow officers, 5-year-old Dak, will be sadly missed. "We go to work with them, every night we take them home, they're not just K-9 partners, but they're also family members.”

Pasquale trained Dak back in 2006. He explains that for the past 3 years Dak has been faithfully protecting his partner, K-9 Officer George Adams and protecting the community until losing his battle with cancer last week. "It's a tremendous loss to the department, to the city and entire K-9 world, Dak was an amazing, amazing dog."

Throughout his short career, Dak won dozens of awards and trophies at various competitions. "Back in 2008, in National's where hundreds of the best police dogs throughout the country, he finished in the top 10."

Just this past September, Dak won the overall competition in the Region 6 Police Dog 1 Trials. "That is an absolute amazing achievement."

Dak's latest victory came just after the city's mayor, Lorenzo Langford pulled Dak and the 18 other police dogs from active duty, pending the outcome of an investigation over alleged police brutality involving K-9 units.

The mayor later re-established only narcotic and explosive detecting K-9's but Pasquale says Dak's achievements are proof of how important the K-9 units are to the city. "It's a testament of the training we do, we've been doing it for many, many years and also a testament to and especially to K-9 Officer Adam's who's heart and soul is in K-9."

Although Dak will be sadly missed, the hope of the Atlantic City Police Department is to move forward and get all K-9 units back on the streets. "We have a K-9 patrol class commencing in January through the Atlantic County John Sonny Burke K-9 Academy and our every intention is to have Officer Adams train another partner."

The K-9 Unit is currently cross training 4 patrol dogs for narcotics and explosives detection and once the mayor's investigation is complete, the K-9 Unit hopefully will add another faithful member to the team.