A police dog that worked with an officer slain in the line of duty has been photographed apparently paying his last respects at his partner’s funeral.
K-9 officer Jason Ellis of the Bardstown Police drug task force in Kentucky, died after a suspected ambush last month, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports.
The 33-year-old was laid to rest on Thursday and his canine companion Figo was present at his funeral.
Figo places a paw on the coffin of K-9 officer Jason Ellis
The dog was pictured placing a paw on the father-of-two’s coffin.
Police Chief Rick McCubbin told the Associated Press Ellis had “paid the ultimate sacrifice doing what he loved, being a police officer” and called him and Figo “true partners.”
The touching image was posted on Reddit with one user stating the dog would now be retired from the force and given to Ellis’s family.
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While this is unconfirmed, another comments this is standard practice in the military when a dog handler is killed.
In January Huffington Post UK reported on the tale of Ciccio, the German Shepherd who had been attending Mass at the church where his late owner was buried in late 2012.
Ciccio at the altar of the church of Santa Maria Assunta in San Donaci, Puglia
The grieving hound is said to have mourned the loss of Maria Lochi daily, attending the church of Santa Maria Assunta in San Donaci, Puglia each morning and sitting beneath the altar, near the priest.
Father Donato Panna said: ''He's there every time I celebrate Mass and is very well behaved - he doesn't make a sound, I've not heard one bark from him in all the time he has been coming in.
'He used to come to Mass with Maria and he was obviously devoted to her - I let him stay inside as he was always so well behaved and none of the other parishoners ever complained to me."
