Hero's farewell for terminally ill NJ K-9

A police dog has been given a hero’s farewell – with scores of policemen giving him the salute – before being put down.

Some 30 policemen lined the street outside a hospital in New Jersey to bid farewell. About a dozen fellow law enforcement canines were also in attendance.

Judge, a nine-year-old German Shepherd, was a retired police dog at West Deptford Township.

He had to retire in August 2013 due to physical ailments, including issues with his teeth, according to a local report in gloucestercountyonline.com.

Judge’s Retirement Ceremony:

Judge had started his career in law enforcement in 2007 and had been deployed about 280 times, the report said.

Starting in November, the dog’s health started deteriorating sharply.

Thanks to a fundraiser the township was able to cover the soaring medical costs, which came to more than $10,000 (£6,500).

With Judge unable to eat and increasingly debilitated, veterinaries thought it was best to put him down at the Swedesboro Animal Hospital.

(c) Sky News 2015