Officer’s completely moved when stranger gifts him portrait of his recently deceased K9 partner
Working and living together for more than a decade, Sergeant Clarke White and Police K9 Duco served together on Medicine Hat Police Service in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. So, when Duco passed away in January 2021, Sergeant White and his family were devastated.
And while the community was supportive, it also came from an unlikely quarter.
A lifetime of service and companionship
Serving with Medicine Hat Police Services together from 2009 to 2015, White spoke on his time working with Duco:
“He kind of gained a reputation that if he was coming to the scene someone was getting caught, a bad guy that had run away was going to get caught if there was any chance of it. And just like that you take his harness off at the end of the day and it’s like you turned off a switch and he just becomes the most gentle pet that you could imagine.”
Duco gets used to retirement
It took around a year and a half for Duco to get used to life outside of the force once he retired. Over that period of time, White watched Duco go from a hard-nosed police working dog into a gentle giant who enjoyed wrestling with White’s children. Over his life, he became the perfect companion animal.
A compassionate community
Unfortunately, Duco passed away on January 30, 2021. It is at this point that the community stepped up, showing White and his family an outpouring of support. What was even more amazing was the support that came from far away, over 1,300 miles away in fact.
Artist Nicole Wilmot
Ontario artist Nicole Wilmot, who has a German shepherd herself, likes to paint portraits of police dogs who have passed away and then sends them to their handlers. It all started when she did portraits of two Durham, Ontario police dogs. After that, she kept going, painting more portraits of police K9s all across Canada.
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“I’m not a rich person but I feel rich doing this,” she told Chat News Today. “I know how dog parents feel and I know what it feels like when they lose their pet. It’s losing part of your family, right? So, if I can help out in any little way.”
Support from an unlikely source
Absolutely incredible and unexpected gift received this week from @nicolewilmotart The fact that a complete stranger from the other side of the country would take the time to paint this and send it as a token of condolences is amazing. So many great people in this world. pic.twitter.com/XeQU9nk1rX
— MHPS K9 Team (@MHPSK9Team) March 12, 2021
When Sergeant White received a photo of Duco from Wilmot, he was caught totally by surprise.
“When I received the painting in the mail completely unexpected from a complete stranger on the other side of the country I was blown away. There’s no way else to put it,” White said. “It’s just an incredible kind gesture from somebody. It’s things like that that make you realize how good this world is and how many good people are in this world.”
For Wilmot, it is just a way for her to thank the many police officers that serve communities across Canada.
“I know they get a lot of flak from the public and negative press and I want them to know that people do appreciate them and we do care and I for one really love my police officers from B.C. all the way to Newfoundland.”
White and his family hold the portrait dear to their hearts
And while nothing could ever replace Duco in their heart’s Wilmot’s portrait of him has gone a long way towards helping to heal White and his family’s wounds. They even have it on their kitchen countertop and refer to it as Duco.
For more of Wilmot’s portrait of K9 Duco and the effect it has had on Sergeant White, check out the following video.
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Source: Chat News Today, Chat News Today, The Patrol Dog Network