As an American civilian, when I hear that someone in law enforcement or the armed services has laid down their lives in the line of duty, I always consider it my solemn responsibility to pay my respects.
To be perfectly honest, there’s nothing that will make me well up faster than a beautiful, respectful salute to someone in the military or police force who paid the ultimate price on behalf of this nation, as we saw with this touching tribute to a fallen soldier.
Of course, on occasion, these intrepid souls aren’t men and women — but courageous service animals putting their lives on the line alongside their human partners.
That’s exactly the kind of bravery we saw this week in Houston, when a police horse named Charlotte died while carrying out justice.
Scroll down to see how this beautiful horse was honored by one loving police officer…
Please note, some of the following images contain graphic content.
Charlotte, a six-year old Tennessee Walker, had been with the Houston Police Department for four years.
She was partnered with Officer D. Herrejon, her rider. Together, they worked the downtown Houston beat.
According to the announcement that the HPD made on their Facebook page, “She loved her job and was always ready to go to work putting bad guys in jail or giving nuzzles to children.”
Tragically, Charlotte’s life came to an end late last week when she was severely injured in a motor vehicle accident while on patrol.
Her back legs were badly damaged, and she had to be put to sleep at the scene.
But Officer Herrejon, her dedicated partner, wouldn’t leave her side for even a moment.
Though the officer later had to go to the hospital to make sure he himself wasn’t injured, a poignant photo posted by the Animal Justice League shows that he simply refused to leave his partner in her time of need.
Officer Herrejon stayed with her through her final moments, in a touching display of loyalty and partnership.
Though Charlotte's loss is tragic, we salute her bravery in the line of duty — and we thank Officer Herrejon for his loyalty to a true friend.
If you were touched by this officer’s beautiful tribute to his fallen partner, please SHARE in support of brave police mounts everywhere.
