As Minnesota DNR K-9 unit grows, Axel makes early impact in Detroit Lakes

As Minnesota DNR K-9 unit grows, Axel makes early impact in Detroit Lakes

DETROIT LAKES — When Axel roamed the hard-packed snow outside the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Detroit Lakes office on Tuesday afternoon, his black labrador retreiver muzzle was dusted white. Temprarily deterred by purposefully misleading footprints laid by his handler, DNR conservation officer Jake Swedberg, Axel practiced his detection skills, searching for an unloaded training firearm safely buried beneath the snow. Eventually, …