Photos Courtesy of NYPD
The stirring words of George Graham Vest are featured beneath each canine’s portrait: “The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog…
By Forum Staff
A baker’s dozen canine-and-officer teams graduated from Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department explosives detection and anti-terrorism training on Thursday in a ceremony held at Grand Central Terminal.
Four of the thirteen German shepherds were named after members of the City Police Department who died in the line of duty or protecting the country overseas, according to the NYPD.
• Canine “Lemm” was named in honor of NYPD Detective and Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Joseph Lemm, killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan in 2015.
• “Willie” was named in honor of Officer William Rivera, who died in 2004 when he fell from a Brooklyn rooftop in pursuit of a suspect.
• “Mac” was named in honor of Det. Steven McDonald, shot and paralyzed by gunfire in 1986; died in 2017.
• And “Zolo” was named in honor of Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo, killed by gunfire in the Bronx in 2016.
