A beloved police dog named Jethro has passed away after being shot during a grocery store burglary in Ohio, according to the Huffington Post. Jethro was a K-9 with Canton police.
Jethro and his officer, Ryan Davis, were responding to an early morning burglary alarm on Saturday morning when they were shot at upon entering the store. Jethro was shot three times and was expected to recover from his injuries but passed away Sunday morning, according to the Guardian.
The Police K-9 Association Facebook page made a number of posts following Jethro's progress, informing followers that while the bullets missed any bones or vital organs, brain swelling caused by head trauma unfortunately led to his death. The Police K-9 Association Page posted a photo of Jethro covered by the American flag to share the news and commiserate his death.
RIP Jethro. We will post funeral service details later tonight or tomorrow
Posted by Police K-9 Association on Sunday, January 10, 2016
"K-9 Jethro #60 you will never be forgotten. We miss you already" reads an Instagram post from the organization, with details of Jethro's memorial service outlined in the following post. Jethro had been with Davis since he was a puppy, according to NY Daily News.
A photo posted by Police K-9 Association Inc (@policek9association) on Jan 10, 2016 at 5:19pm PST
"There's not a doubt in my mind that that dog saved officers' lives today", Canton police chief Bruce Lawver told the Canton Repository, "They reacted just how they were trained. They were very smart... The officers did a tremendous job."
Since Jethro was shot, a GoFundMe page was set up by sympathetic observers to help with medical costs and to provide new bulletproof vests for "all of the Canton PD dogs." At the time of writing, the total amount raised is more than $25,000, twice as much as the stated goal.
The alleged shooter is Kelontre Barefield, 22, who has since been charged with aggravated burglary and assaulting a police dog, according to the Beacon Journal. He will be held in jail on bond after being released from the hospital.
