Caesar, the hero German Shepherd who served three tours in Afghanistan before becoming the first military service dog to join the NYPD, has answered his final roll call.
The battle-tested bowwow was euthanized Thursday after a courageous clash with cancer, but not before a row of cops and their canine partners gave him a final salute.
Caesar's handler, Officer Juan Rodriguez, walked down the line of cops and dogs outside the Animal Medical Center along E. 62nd Street on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Then Rodriguez walked Caesar over to the FDR Drive for a final peek at the East River before bringing the dog inside for the end of his tour of duty.
Rodriguez appeared stoic, though colleagues said he was very upset over the ordeal. As for Caesar, he seemed spry, though a bandage on his leg was clearly affecting him.
In 2014, Caesar joined the NYPD, where he found a second career in public service.
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