Michigan State Police unveil memorial to K-9s killed in the line of duty

Matthew Dae Smith, Lansing State Journal
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DIMONDALE — More than 100 troopers attended a dedication ceremony Thursday for a Michigan State Police memorial dedicated to K-9s killed in the line of duty.

The permanent memorial is adjacent to a memorial that honors fallen officers.

MSP Director Joel Gasper spoke at the dedication about the special bond between handlers and their police dogs, lauding the effectiveness of MSP’s K-9 units in serving the public and the department.

Retired trooper Richard Abbott, who established the K-9 unit in 1960, attended the event.

"They’re giving me a lot of credit for stuff I didn’t do,” Abbott, 94, said. “I just happened to be the first guy. They wanted to make the program go and it did.”

The department now has 43 K-9 teams throughout the state.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan State Police unveil memorial to K-9s killed in line of duty