Thousands of police officers and military service members worldwide cannot imagine their everyday tasks without the companionship of loyal, furry friends. Four-legged detectives are trained to protect humans, and we are incredibly proud of them.

Zeus, an 11-year-old German Shepherd, was retired from a Ridgefield Police Department because of his severe degenerative hip disorder. Because the doggie was in so much pain, his fellow officers decided to give him a heartwarming farewell before putting him down.

“His health has declined significantly over the past year, so he has to be put down,” police said.

Take a look at the brave dog’s last ride through Ridgefield.

In 2006, Zeus joined the Ridgefield Police Department and became an excellent K-9 officer.

During his almost decade-long service, Zeus led to an arrest in over 250 narcotics cases. Partnered with Sgt. Shawn Murray, Zeus performed hundreds of demonstrations for the public and conducted over 50 tracks for missing or wanted individuals.

According to the official Facebook post by the Ridgefield PD, Zeus “located six individuals that were in life-threatening situations. He also located six suspects that had fled the scenes of crimes. The largest amount of narcotics Zeus was responsible for seizing was 10 pounds of marijuana which occurred in 2006.”

Sadly, being an ailing veteran police dog, Zeus suffered from several health problems.

The worst trouble was his degenerative hip disorder that was causing him a lot of pain. No one could help him, so the police decided to put Zeus to sleep, and they say that it was a difficult decision to make. Zeus was euthanized in 2015 at the Ridgefield Veterinary Hospital.

His colleagues made sure to make his last ride as memorable as possible.

The dog took a final route through Ridgefield, and everyone was sad to see him leave. The last ride began at 4:45 p.m., and all police agencies from the area attended the event. You can genuinely say that Zeus was surrounded by loved ones.

“Zeus was a valued member of our team as well as our community and will be greatly missed,” Ridgefield police said on Facebook.

His partner took care of Zeus even after the dog’s retirement. Sgt. Murray took Zeus home and took care of him as much as possible, but the pup’s health declined rapidly. During the farewell, community members walked along the route to pay tribute.

For everyone, Zeus was so much more than just an ordinary pooch.

His fellow police officers describe Zeus as more than a dog. Rest in peace, Zeus. We are all proud of you.

How to recognize the symptoms of hip dysplasia on your dog?

The degenerative hip disorder is a painful condition affecting the dog’s quality of life enormously. Some dogs begin to show signs of this disease at a very young age. If you notice that your dog is reluctant to jump, run, or climb the stairs, make sure to see what the problem is. Take your dog to the vet if you see an enlargement of the puppy’s shoulder muscles. It happens when the dog’s body tries to compensate for the weakness of the hind end.

The loss of thigh muscle mass decreased range of motion, and limping can also be the signs of the disease. Make sure to take your dog to a regular checkup, where a veterinarian will perform a physical exam. Feed your dog an appropriate diet, and provide the needed levels of exercise. Your doggies will be thankful.

Watch Zeus’s touching last ride in the video below.

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Source: YouTube/WTNH News8; StamfordAdvocate; DailyMail;