Video: Wash. family gives officer stuffed facsimile of fallen K-9

Cameron Probert
Tri-City Herald

PASCO, Wash. — A woman who says her family was helped by a Pasco police officer during their time of need returned the favor this Christmas after learning the officer had lost his police dog partner earlier this month.

Pasco Police dog Lemon passed away due to a medical crisis just after retiring from eight years of service with Pasco police. So Cassandra Burg and her family bought a stuffed animal that looks just like K9 Lemon to gift his handler, officer Josh Madsen.

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“This officer helped us out so much in our time of need so it was so awesome to give back to him something so special!!” Burg wrote on her Facebook page.

Cassandra said the motivation of the gift was just to see a smile.

“People need to remember that officers have hearts too,” Burg said. “Their K9 is not just a K9, they are their best friends and I just want to get it out there that sometimes if you listen you are going to realize someone might be going through something pretty hard.”

Burg told KEPR-TV she wants more people to think about the good things officers do for the community on a regular basis.