Diogi, an almost nine-year-old German Shepherd, served New Jersey’s Police Department for seven years as part of the K-9 unit, but his career was cut short after the canine officer was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
The news of the terminal illness didn’t come easy for Diogi’s human partner, Officer Joseph Van Pelt, but nevertheless, Van Pelt loved and honored his four-legged work partner until the dog’s last day.
“I wanted to take a dog that didn’t have a shot, that I know physiologically can do the work. It’s just a matter of motivation,” said officer Matt Zarrella.
