On July 30th Steve Weinberg, Dennis Rogers, Carl and Donna White, Rocky Rothermel, David Elliott, and myself attended the funeral service for K-9 Hondo held at the Independence Police Department's K-9 Unit. For those who may no know, K-9 Hondo died from heat exposure when the air conditioning and backup safety system failed on the police vehicle he was in while his handler was away from the vehicle. Having never attended a K-9 funeral before, I wasn't sure what to expect. But it quickly became apparent that Hondo was to be afforded all the honors of a fallen police officer. The size of the crowd in attendance was a strong indicator of respect felt for this animal and his handler.
Whether it is a working dog like Hondo or simply a pet and companion, dogs have a unique and often special relationship with we humans. Their desire to serve, protect and to love unconditionally another species that must surely bewilder them at times, is a lesson we human beings have yet to learn. To have known and lost such a noble animal can be heartbreaking, but possibly even more tragic would be to never have had the opportunity to experience such a relationship.
F. D. Jordan
Ride With Pride
