Whew.  I must have something irritating my eyes, because they sure are watering.  Oh, wait, nope, those are tears.

I have to preface this by telling you that my wife and I said goodbye to our beloved mutt Ollie on February 14th this year. Ollie was our buddy, our companion, our best friend, our ringbearer in the wedding, our traveling partner, our pride and joy.  Ollie fought hard  against a spine problem for 15 months and was doing well with the help of laser therapy but then suffered an aneurysm that took him quickly.  There's not a day that goes by when Faith and I don't miss him deeply.

I share that story with you, because it makes sharing this story that much harder...

It comes from Plymouth, Massachusetts, where a police dog named Kaiser was recently laid to rest.  Kaiser wasn't even 3 years old but had a remarkable 18-month law enforcement career.

There's a lot to his story that you can read in-depth on WickedLocal.com - and I encourage you to read all three pages for the full effect.  But here are just a few exceprts from the very touching, heartfelt story written on WickedLocal.com:

"Kaiser was one of the youngest dogs to ever attend the training academy – at just 10 months. When he finished the 16-week Patrol Dog Academy, he was certified in human tracking, criminal apprehension and evidence recovery and was assigned to Plymouth Police Officer Jamie LeBretton.

But as Kaiser was establishing a reputation for diligence, he also began to exhibit the signs of his illness and was eventually diagnosed with kidney disease.

In his time on the force, his loyalty, courage and training impressed all those who came in to contact with him. So, when it became apparent that his illness was mortal, his fellow officers in Plymouth and K9 handlers across the area volunteered to participate in a special tribute.

On his last day, officers from Ashland, Bridgewater, Canton, Fall River, Haverhill, Holbrook, Middleborough, Quincy, Taunton, Weymouth, Yarmouth, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department, the State Police and the Department of Correction all joined with Plymouth in honoring Kaiser’s service."

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This picture shows the final walk that Kaiser took, being honored by his fellow police officers.  Gotta grab a tissue... again.

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