‘His life was full’: Retired Rockland Police K9 honored with memorial service

ROCKLAND, Maine (WABI) - Law enforcement officers gathered on the midcoast on Wednesday as Rockland Police said goodbye to one of their own.

Dozens of officers showed up with their K9s to pay their respects to recently retired K9 Marek.

Marek passed away at home last week, surrounded by his handler, Officer Tim Davis, and his family.

The duo met in 2019 and worked with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office before joining the Rockland Police Department in 2023.

During that time, he was the only active police canine in Knox County.

During his five years of service, Marek made a big impact on the community.

We spoke with Officer Davis, who says Marek was not just a dog.

He was a partner and friend.

“We say their life is so short, but his life was full,” Davis said. “I got to spend literally every second of his life with him, and I think the community sees that and the community understands that these dogs mean a lot to us. They mean a lot to the community, and at the very base of it, people just love dogs.”

“He wasn’t a cute, cuddly sweetheart. He was a powerful warrior, and the bad guys had met their match when he showed up for duty,” added Nathan Bean, principal trainer at All-Points Maine Police K-9.

Marek officially retired last December.

He passed the leash on to K9 Freya.

She’s a black lab named after Marek’s mother.

Copyright 2025 WABI. All rights reserved.