A northeast Ohio officer whose police dog died after being shot during a burglary investigation will visit Texas in search of a new K-9 partner.
Canton police told The Repository newspaper hat Officer Ryan Davis plans to fly on Sunday to Houston, where the nonprofit K9s4COPs will donate a dog for training.
Davis' partner, a 3-year-old German shepherd named Jethro, was shot by a suspect while investigating a Jan. 9 break-in. Hundreds of officers from several states joined Canton residents at a memorial service for Jethro, who was hailed by the police chief as a hero that saved lives.
A judge set bond at $5 million for the man accused of killing Jethro.
K9s4COPs founder Kristi Schiller said she expects the process of finding a new crime-fighting partner to be overwhelming for Davis, because police dogs live with their handlers and become another member of the family.
Davis said he can't really replace Jethro, but he's pretty sure he'll find a prospective new partner.
"I'm not looking forward to all the heartache and headache," Davis said. "But it's fun. It's fun to get out there and work with them. I'm kind of apprehensive, excited and nervous all in one."
