Illinois police dog honored with funeral procession

TROY, Ill. (AP) - A police dog that spent more than six years on the job at a Metro East police department has been honored with a funeral procession after health problems led his owners to have him euthanized.

According to the Belleville News-Democrat (http://bit.ly/28Svkva ), Jac was 14 when Troy police Detective Mike Raymond and his family decided that the dog's deteriorating health meant he should be put down. The German shepherd could no longer easily walk.

Jac was euthanized Friday and a number of officers and their dogs turned out for a procession between the veterinary clinic and a funeral home. The family had Jac cremated.

Jac was with the department in Pontoon Beach, 15 miles west of Troy, until 2009.

Raymond said his young son and Jac had become "best friends."

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Information from: Belleville News-Democrat, http://www.bnd.com