NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Newport News Police Department is giving one of its beloved service dogs a proper sendoff.
Trigger, a nine-year-old black lab who served eight years in the NNPD’s narcotics detection division, was immediately retired and given a bucket list after being diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier this year. He joined the department in January 2010 and partnered with Master Police Detective J. Huling.
Trigger’s story resonated with the community so much that the Newport News Police Foundation created a portal for citizens to donate money to the NNPD’s K-9 unit this week.
Since the story was made public, Trigger’s condition had worsened, so Huling made a veterinary appointment for the dog to be put down on Friday. Surrounded by mourners, Trigger was walked into the clinic by Huling and his wife as his human coworkers lined the path in his honor.
Click here to make a donation to the NNPD’s K-9 unit.