All animals deserve our respect, but police dogs play a particularly honorable role in society. Respecting police dogs is the biggest must as they serve our community in the best way ever. There are many work duties for K9 dogs. They should be given the best farewell when retire, or ᴅ.ɪ.ᴇ.
The Ridgefield Police Department gave a German Shepherd K9 called Zeus the most emotional farewell ever. Zeus was followed by a police car parade to the Ridgefield Veterinary Hospital, where he was put to sleep.
Often, a police dog’s input can make a huge difference when it comes to making an arrest. But these dogs also form close bonds with their police handlers – and that’s why it’s so emotional when a dog has to leave the service for good. He had done some amazing things for the police department, after joining way back in 2006. More than 50 tracks for wanted or missing individuals have been undertaken by Zeus throughout his years of service, locating six suspects who’d fled crime scenes and six victims in ʟɪғᴇ-ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ situations. One of the officers said that it was a tearful farewell as Zeus, who wore his Ridgefield police badge with respect, decency, and pride, had helped many officers making hundreds of arrests.
John Roche, the department’s chief, said that Zeus had been deteriorated by the s.i.c.k.n.e.s.s to the point that it was so hard for him to move and exist, so, they decided to put him down in the most honorable way. He added: “The ᴅɪsᴇᴀsᴇ that had racked him had deteriorated him to such a point where it was just so difficult for him to exist and continue on.”
A procession of squad cars followed Zeus’ car to the Ridgefield Veterinary Hospital, where he was wheeled through a waiting crowd of servicemen. Speaking before Zeus was taken inside, one officer said: “It’s with tears in our eyes that we must say goodbye. He wore the Ridgefield police badge with respect, pride, and dignity.”
Chief John Roche of the department said that it was an “honor” to be there for Zeus’s last moments. One thing’s for sure, while Zeus might be gone, he certainly isn’t forgotten. In a beautiful post shared recently to Facebook, the Ridgefield CT Police Department wrote that they still missed their canine friend, five years on.
After sharing some of Zeus’s most notable achievements, the post finished: “Zeus was a valued member of our team as well as our community. He will always remain in our thoughts, and never be forgotten.”