Heartbreaking Photos Show Officers Giving Final Salute To K9 Officer With Cancer

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A heartbreaking series of photos shared by the Middletown Police Department in Connecticut shows officers coming together for a finale salute to a K9 officer who was diagnosed with cancer.

K9 Hunter, as the German shepherd was known, had been ill for several days and tests showed he had a very aggressive form of liver cancer. Vets recommended euthanasia.

Officer Michael D'Aresta and Hunter "have been an exceptional team serving the City of Middletown in a high caliber since 2007," the department wrote on its Facebook page.

Officers lined up to salute the dog as Officer D'Aresta carried him into the Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital on Friday evening.

Rest in peace, Hunter.

Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook