Greenville, N.C. — When beloved Greenville community member and police supporter, Leonard Kulik, passed away earlier this year, his wife, Diane, wanted to honor him in a special way.

In lieu of flowers, Diane and her family asked that all donations made in Leonard’s memory go to support the GPD K9 Unit. In less than a month, Leonard’s family and friends from across the country donated more than $7,000. Thanks to their generous donations, the Greenville Police Department has now added a seventh member to its K9 force.

K9 Axle, an 80-pound Belgian Malinois/Shepherd mix, came to the United States from Hungary. He’s trained in tracking, narcotics detection, article and area searches, and handler protection. Axle and his handler, Officer Bradley Nunnery, started training together in June 2018. Their first shift as a K9 team was on July 25, 2018.

“The Greenville Police Department is touched by the Kulik family’s generosity,” Chief Mark Holtzman said. “It is obvious Leonard was loved and respected by many and we are so honored his friends and family chose to carry on his legacy through one of our police programs. Our K9s are valued members of the GPD family. Axle is no different. We look forward to watching him flourish with Officer Nunnery and have no doubt he will have a long career here in Greenville. We wish to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who donated and made the addition of a new K9 possible.”