A heartbreaking image shows a tearful Connecticut police officer saying farewell to his beloved K-9 partner. Officer Michael D’Aresta of the Middletown Police Department made the tough decision to put Hunter down after he was recently diagnosed with severe illness.
A heartbreaking image shows a tearful Connecticut police officer saying farewell to his beloved K-9 partner.
Hunter started working for the city in 2007 and the department has publicly praised him for his work over the years. In 2015, he found an elderly woman with dementia in a stream after she became disorientated. Last year, he tracked down an unconscious man in a hard-to-reach wooded area, and as recently as July, he helped find key evidence in a DRUG bust.
Two weeks later, he helped his fellow officers apprehend an injured man who appeared to be intoxicated. A great team effort of him to all the Officers on scene and especially K9 Hunter.
Hunter put his life on the line every day while on the force to keep the community secure. After his health took a turn for the worse, his selfless sacrifices to the force came to a heartbreaking end recently:
“K-9 Hunter has been sick for a few days, and tests found that he has a very aggressive severe illness. Sgt. Doug Clark, Middletown K-9 boss, wrote online, “Unfortunately, they recommended that he be ᴇᴜᴛʜᴀɴɪᴢᴇᴅ.”
The K-9’s illness “came on him quickly,” she said.“When Mike told me he wasn’t doing well and had to put him down, I was so upset and couldn’t believe it,” she said. “We are all very sad. He was a big part of our lives, especially Mike’s… He will be truly missed.”
The diagnosis was especially hard on D’Aresta, who had to make the difficult decision to put his friend to sleep, but he was not alone in his grief. Flanked by their fellow officers outside the veterinary office when that sad day came, D’Aresta carried Hunter in his arms as he received one last salute from those whom he served so loyally alongside.
Hunter was put to sleep at the Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital in Middletown on Friday.
Middletown has a population of about 50,000 residents, but due to the touching way the police department said goodbye to K-9 Hunter, his legacy has spread across the country and around the world — and it’s a legacy that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
