TAMPA, Fla. — This summer, the Tampa Bay community is rallying around a retired police officer who almost died due to a medical emergency.
The officer is now on the road to recovery, playing fetch, enjoying belly rubs and running around the dog park.
“You know he’s my best friend. Wherever I go, he’s right next to me. He’s always just there for me. It’s very hard to describe unless you go through it,” said Officer Keith Padellaro with the Tampa Police Department.
Padellaro is referring to his K9 partner, Xavier, who he worked with from 2014 to 2021. Xavier is now retired and living with Padellaro.
“A lot of people at home have pets they are really close with, but when you put that element of working with the dog and all the training that you go through, it definitely brings it to a whole other level,” said Padellaro.
If there was a major event in the city of Tampa between 2014 and 2021, there’s a good chance officers Padellaro and Xavier were on the scene, working together to keep the community safe.
“So bombs are what we searched for, so we did numerous activities throughout the Bay Area, really. Whether going down to the Rays, the Buccaneers, the Bolts, any delegate that might visit, we were assigned the detail to do the bomb sweep for them. He was also assigned to the street for calls that we needed with K9,” said Padellaro.
Padellaro said even during Xavier’s retirement, the bond between partners never breaks, and that was exemplified this past June.
“I noticed just something was off. He was panting, the tongue was low, and I noticed when I looked at his abdominal cavity it was about six inches wider than the rest of his body, hard to the touch, and he was almost gasping and trying to breathe, and it wasn’t taking full effect,” said Padellaro.
The 9-year-old German shepherd was rushed into surgery to be treated for bloat.
“They said he was within hours. Had I not gotten him there at that time, he wouldn’t have made the night. Thank God that I was there and I was able to detect it and get him the services that he needed,” said Padellaro.
Padellaro said after all the years of Xavier putting his life on the line for human officers, it was symbolic for him to be there when his favorite K9 officer needed him the most.
“They put themselves in a situation where we don’t have to put other police officers in, human police officers, and they take that responsibility, and the nose and the eyes and the ears that they have are way above where we can be,” said Padellaro.
What may have moved Officer Padellaro the most is the outpouring of support from the Tampa Bay community. Padellaro was left with more than $9,000 in medical bills. Remember, K9 officers don’t receive a pension or health benefits when they retire.
“I have a GoFundMe page that my wife and I set up,” said Padellaro. “It’s been an honor and a humbling experience to see everyone reach out; my friends, family and community have all come together to help me and assist me in paying this bill."
In a matter of one month, the Padellaro family is already more than halfway to their goal.
“He’s done so much for the community. It’s nice that the community can step in now and help him,” said Padellaro.
For more information on the GoFundMe, click here.
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