Procession Held For Police K-9 Before Succumbing To Cancer

SAN RAMON (CBS SF) -- It was an emotional final journey this morning for Hector, the San Ramon Police Department K-9 officer, and his handler Officer Allen Molien, as a procession along city streets honored the 7-year-old dog who succumbed to cancer on Sunday, a department spokesman said.

Hector had been with the department for about five years, said police Capt. Denton Carlson.

Diagnosed with cancer several months ago, Hector had missed time in recent months undergoing chemotherapy, and had been back on the job for about a month when, in the last few days, the cancer "just came back with a vengeance," Carlson said.

"We were told that might be the way it would happen."

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With Hector increasingly in pain, plans were made quickly for a procession to honor him, Carlson said. Molien and Hector arrived at the south edge of the city at about 11 a.m. today, and from there the procession went north up San Ramon Valley Boulevard to Bollinger Canyon Road, and then east to a veterinary clinic where Hector was put to sleep.

"It was tough," Carlson said. "Hector knew when to focus on work ... but when he was back at the station, he was just a great dog to be around."

Below is a farewell video for Hector posted by SRPD Captain Carlson on Twitter:

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