LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Aiko, Bane, Eli, Max, Beck and Rex — these are the six Michigan State Police canines who have died in the line of duty since 1998.

From now on, their service and sacrifice within their departments’ K-9 units will not be forgotten.

To honor their lives, MSP dedicated its canine memorial in Dimondale Thursday to the brave public servants.

Aiko, Bane, Eli, Maximus, Beck and Rex all have a spot on the memorial statue.

The MSP canine unit got its start back in 1960 by Trooper Richard Abbott and K-9 Jocko. The department has 43 teams throughout the state that answer calls for service 24 hours a day, seven days a week: handling more than 7,000 requests each year.

At the private ceremony, officials also honored the state’s first handler and his four-footed partner.

“I am now 94 years old. They’re giving me a lot of credit for stuff that I didn’t do. I just happened to be the first guy. I had a lot of good guys, hard workers; they wanted to make the program go and it did,” said Richard Abbot, founder of the MSP Canine Unit.

This project was completely funded by donations. The memorial is located on the MSP training academy lawn in Dimondale near the MSP fallen trooper memorial.

“We’re putting this memorial here to watch over the trooper memorial to make sure they’re safe still and come together as a team still even after people have passed away or the dogs have passed away,” said MSP Canine Unit Sergeant David Cardenas.