St. Pete police honors 'friendly' K9 Nero who was put down due to brain tumor

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (FOX 13) - Members of the St. Petersburg Police Department are mourning the loss of one of their canines.

K9 Nero had to be put down, due to a brain tumor, the agency announced through its Facebook page. The 7-year-old German shepherd had been loyally serving the city since May 2014, alongside his handler, Officer Cooper.

The department said even though Nero worked hard at putting criminals behind bars, he is known for being extremely friendly. 

“He and Officer Cooper were the go-to-team to perform demonstrations that showed off his obedience, agility and strength,” the Facebook post read. “Nero’s friendship was highly sought after from the employees in the Emergency Communications Center to community groups like the Boy Scouts.”

St. Pete police said a K9 handler will typically change the name of a new dog, but while Cooper was listening to Nero’s trainers, he said it sounded like they were calling him, “Nero.” Cooper also head late Sgt. Horace Nero “near and dear as a mentor and a legacy,” and decided to continue calling his new K9 by that name. 

“We think that Sergeant Nero had a little something to do with how friendly K-9 Nero was with people and the community.”