By Kristen Young
Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.
YARMOUTH, Mass. — Nero, the wounded K-9 partner of slain Yarmouth police Sgt. Sean Gannon, was released from a veterinary hospital Wednesday and taken home in the cruiser assigned to Gannon, according to a post on the Yarmouth Police Department’s Facebook page.
The 28-month-old Belgian Malinois was shot in the face and neck April 12 and had been recovering at Cape Cod Veterinary Specialists in Buzzards Bay, where dozens of current and former K-9 officers made sure the dog was never alone. The man accused of shooting Nero is also charged with shooting and killing Gannon as the K-9 officer was helping to serve a warrant at a Marstons Mills house.
Nero’s release came just hours after Gannon’s funeral at Saint Pius X Church in South Yarmouth, which drew law enforcement officers from across the country to pay respects and stand in solidarity with Yarmouth police.
https://www.facebook.com/yarmouthpolice/posts/2070885066259832
The post called the day “one of the most emotional and saddest days ... in American and Yarmouth Police Department history.”
In the post, Yarmouth police thanked those who helped save Nero’s life and emphasized the role retired Yarmouth police K-9 handler Peter McCLelland played in the dog’s recovery, saying that McClelland “entered the home after Nero was shot and has never left his side.”
Nero will stay with McClelland until he fully heals and then will return to the Gannon family, according to the post.
“Rest In Peace Sean, your beloved K-9 Nero is home,” the post says.
©2018 Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.