Heartbreaking photo shows police officer comforting dying horse

A heartbreaking photo is making its way around the web.  The picture shows a Houston police officer comforting his dying patrol horse.  

The four-year-old horse, named Charlotte, was patrolling Downtown Houston on Thursday with her rider Officer D. Herrejon.  She was spooked, bucked the officer and ran into the street where she was hit by a truck.  

Officer Herrejon got down on the floor and wrapped his arms around Charlotte during her final moments. She later died.

The photo was posted to the Houston-based Animal Justice League’s Facebook page where it quickly went viral.  Part of the photo’s caption reads "We admire the heart & strength of this officer because as you know, when you lose an animal, to be with them during their last breath is a heartbreaking & tough thing to do.”

The Houston Police Department posted photos of Charlotte as a tribute to the fallen police horse.  In the post they wrote in part, “She loved her job and was always ready to go to work putting bad guys in jail or giving nuzzles to children.”