A magnificent send-off was given to a valiant K9 detective who, due to his health condition, was no longer able to serve and protect the community. It’s also why he’ll have to be put to sleep. The 11-year-old German Shepherd named Zeus was given an incredibly touching final goodbye before he was put down because of his painful degenerative hip illness. Fellow officers agreed to end his hardship because he was in so much pain. Zeus was a retired police officer from the Ridgefield Police Department. “His health has worsened dramatically over the past year, therefore he has to be put to sleep,” a police officer who knew Zeus stated. Police dogs are trained to ensure public safety and protect people. They are just as important as any other officer or detective on the force in terms of their work. And if you ask any of the thousands of police officers or military personnel who have worked with a K9 partner around the world, they’ll tell you that they couldn’t complete their daily tasks without the assistance of their trusty four-legged partners.
Sgt. Shawn Murray was Zeus’ partner when he joined the Ridgefield Police Department in 2006. Since then, he has given hundreds of legal challenges and led more than 50 tracks for lost or wanted people. He has also demonstrated and proven his abilities as a K-9 cop. During his nearly decade-long career, he was responsible for over 250 drug arrests, which was one of the most noteworthy things he performed. Zeus “found six people who were in life-threatening circumstances,” according to the police department’s official Facebook page. He also tracked down six suspects who had left crime areas. The biggest quantity of drugs that Zeus was involved in capturing was 10 pounds of marijuana in 2006.” Unfortunately, the senior police canine had been ill and had many health issues. Sgt. Murray, Zeus’ partner, has been looking after him since his retirement. Sgt. Murray had brought Zeus home and looked after him as best he could. Sadly, his condition deteriorated quickly.
The worst was Zeus’ degenerative hip condition, which was giving him a great deal of agony and for which nothing or no one, even pain medicines, could provide relief. That’s why his coworkers decided to put him to sleep and put an end to his agony. It was not an easy choice to make, but they believed it was the best choice for him. The degenerative hip disease is a painful illness that has been shown to have a significant impact on a dog’s quality of life. Some canines develop symptoms of this illness at an early age. The lack of desire to leap, run, or even walk upstairs is all sign of the disorder. If any of these symptoms appear, a dog owner should take their pet to a veterinarian. Zeus’ last journey through Ridgefield was attended by all of the area’s police agencies. Everyone was sorry to see him go. “Zeus was a valuable member of our staff as well as our community, and he will be sorely missed,” the police department said on their Facebook page.
