Members of the Plymouth Police Department lined the sidewalk outside of the Court Street Animal Hospital last Friday shortly before noon to pay last respects to one of their own—four-legged crime fighter and German Shepherd, Kaiser.
A number of officers donned their dress uniforms and stood in salute as Kaiser’s owner and handler, Patrol Officer Jamie Lebretton, led the decorated police dog up the path and through the door of the veterinary hospital, where sadly, Kaiser was put to sleep that afternoon.
Kaiser, a vital part of the police force in historic Plymouth, Mass., was recently diagnosed with severe kidney disease. Kaiser’s condition was terminal, and when his handler could see that his friend and partner was in pain, succumbing to the destructive disease, Officer Lebretton knew it was time to say goodbye.
“Out of love and respect for Kaiser, and with the input from our excellent vet, trainer, and family, I have made the heart-wrenching decision to end Kaiser’s suffering,” Officer Lebretton posted on the Plymouth Police Working Dog Foundation Facebook page last Wednesday.
Kaiser was only 2-and-a-half-years-old at the time of his passing, but the impact he’s made as part of the Plymouth police force and in the life of his partner Officer Lebretton is immeasurable.
“RIP my boy,” Officer Lebretton wrote in a Facebook post Friday. “I could not have asked for a better partner or friend. May you rest easy and wait for me at that sacred bridge. I will be there my friend. I will be there.”
“I will never forget you or your accomplishments,” he continued. “You made me a better person, a better handler, and a better cop. Till we meet again Kai. I love you and will miss you daily.”
Kaiser was laid to rest at the Angel View Pet Cemetery in nearby Middleborough, Massachusetts.
Sources: Plymouth Police Working Dog Foundation Facebook, NYDailyNews.com
