The Apex Police Department is mourning the loss of its K-9 Zeus, the department announced Wednesday morning.
"Zeus was a beloved member of the Apex Police Department and this is a tragic loss for the department. Zeus served the community with pride and distinction," officials said in a statement. "Zeus was a big hit at community events and brought a smile to many community members. This is a loss to the community as a whole and we thank Zeus for his honorable service."
Zeus was an eight-year veteran with the department, joining in January 2016. Apex police say the dual-purpose, Belgian Malinois born in Holland had 454 deployments during his service.
His duties included narcotic sniffs, building searches, article searches, search warrants, and tracks for wanted/missing persons.
The department says Zeus died after battling an illness. His handler, Sgt. Asmussen, was by his side when he passed.
