We finally got to say goodbye to 2020, but on December 31st, the Canal Fulton Police Department in Ohio bid a bittersweet farewell to one of its members as well.

“Today will be Sgt. Barabasch’s last shift with his partner in crime,” they announced in the now-viral post.

Goodbye, Bishop

After 8 years on the force, Canal Fulton’s very first K9 unit, Bishop, celebrated his last day. In a joint statement from Mayor Joseph Schultz and police chief Douglas Swartz, long-time fans of the police pup were told he was retiring.

But they were also informed there would be a new dog in town – the K9 unit, Rogue.

Citizens had no doubt he would be up to the task despite a silly photo posted of him just days before at the home of his human partner Officer Dan Shetler.

Schultz and Swartz took the opportunity to thank Bishop and his handler, who fans might not have knows was putting in so much extra time.

“Please join us in wishing K-9 Bishop a heartfelt happy retirement. 8 years ago, Bishop became Canal Fulton PD’s first K-9 unit and has set the bar extremely high for our new K-9 Rogue. We should also recognize his handler, Sgt. Josh Barabasch, for his dedicated service during these past 8 years. Being a k-9 handler means working weekends, being called out all hours of the night, and countless hours of training in keeping his k-9 certification levels current.”

Clearly, it involves having a little fun as well:

A photo retrospective of a very good boy

Also included in the Facebook post were some sweet photos of Bishop from puppyhood to the present.

His sweet face made it even harder for some people to say goodbye to the dog that had protected officers and community members alike.

But no doubt Sgt. Barabasch is missing his workdays with Bishop the most.

The post continued:

“Thank you Bishop for helping a very special officer get home safely every night for the better part of a decade, as well as, the protection you provided to other officers and services to our community. It went by so fast, but you will forever be remembered in our hearts!!”

The German Shepherd joined the force in 2013, thanks to a donation from an agency called B.A.R.K. that funds police dogs and their training (along with officer training) for departments that don’t have the funds. B.A.R.K donated $14,000 to get Bishop on the force.

The department posted the good news to Facebook in February of that year:

“The agency has also agreed to train Ptl. Josh Barabasch and Bishop for free. This is basically a $14,000 donation to our community. We expect Bishop to be certified thru the State of Ohio as a drug detecting dog by May. Mayor Harbaugh approved of this measure to combat any illegal drug abuse or possession in our community.”

The next generation

Bishop’s retirement didn’t come as a surprise.

In fact, a June 2019 post announced the Rogue would be filling Bishop’s shoes the following year.

“Everyone, meet Rogue. Sadly, Bishop is getting up there in years and will be retiring next year. Rogue has already started his training with his handler, Officer Danny Shetler. Rogue is expected to replace Bishop in 2020,” the department wrote.

Who could complain after seeing this adorable puppy?!

Be sure to scroll down below to see Bishop’s retirement post and even more adorable photos of the brave and beautiful K9.

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Source: Facebook – Canal Fulton Police (Ohio), Akron Beacon Journal