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Died – 2/14/19
Handler – Officer Juan Rodriguez
Military dog with 3 deployments and NYPD service dies from cancer
Nine-year-old Caesar, a German shepherd K-9 officer with the New York Police Department, was laid to rest last Thursday following a battle with cancer. Before Caesar was euthanized, he received a hero’s salute from NYPD K-9 handlers and their dogs for his courageous service, which included three tours of duty in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army, Officer Juan Rodriguez, Caesar’s long-time handler and Army veteran, was with him every step of the way. Caesar joined NYPD’s Transit K-9 Unit in 2014 as the first military service dog when he was just four-years-old. His duty was to keep the subway safe, but he surpassed that objective in many ways. Caesar used his expertise once to sniff out explosives which resulted in saving an entire Navy Seals squad. Caesar went through training and also became part of NYPD’s Transit K-9 Unit, working routine patrols and counterterrorism duties, He was a FEMA-certified dog who worked in earthquake disaster relief in Haiti. Just outside of the animal hospital, Caesar was bid a righteous farewell by his peers. Rodriguez walked Caesar down the street which was lined with NYPD Police, many with their fellow K-9 officers.Rodriguez let Caesar have a final glimpse of the East River before entering the animal hospital for the final time. “It is an honor to work with him. It sounds funny to say that I’m honored to work with a dog, but I know I can trust him, and I feel comfortable knowing that if I go out there, he’ll find anything and help save lives,” Rodriguez said.
