Lifetime of loyalty: Cemetery final resting place of K-9 patrol dogs

It’s often said that man’s best friend is his dog, and that bond is even more special between police officers and their canine partners.

“They are probably the best partners you can have. They take care of you, and you take care of them,” said Lt. Everette Johnson, commander of the Montgomery Police Department’s K-9 unit.

In addition to being great partners to rely on when chasing down fleeing criminals, they’re also great companions.

“They treat you just as good as your home pets do,” he said.

Johnson’s own canine partner is a patrol dog named Nero.

Nero jumped to his hind legs recently and put his paws up against the chain-link door of his run as Johnson approached. As Johnson stroked his nose, Nero seemed like the mildest of house pets.

Once Johnson was about 10 feet away, Nero reverted back to a jumping, barking whirl of energy — a menacing sight, especially for a fleeing criminal.

The most rewarding thing about the job, Johnson said, is seeing the months of work training a dog pay off when the dog performs its commands on duty.

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