K-9s across Florida honored at Temple Terrace regional memorial

Trevor Sochocki
·2 min read

TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. (WFLA) — More than 30 K-9s from across the state were honored in a ceremony on Friday morning at Temple Terrace’s K-9 memorial outside City Hall.

“Their senses and their courage is just something that is beyond measure,” Temple Terrace Police Chief Kenneth Albano said.

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Albano led the ceremony, which featured officers from as far north as St. Augustine Beach and as far south as Miami. What started as a regional K-9 memorial turned into a statewide site.

“We in law enforcement, we’re not superhuman,” Albano said. “We have fear. We move beyond that. I don’t believe once in my 38 years in law enforcement, I’ve seen a K-9 demonstrate fear.”

The Regional Law Enforcement K-9 Memorial stemmed from a partnership between Temple Terrace and the Nam Knights Westside Motorcycle Club two years ago.

“It’s a special bond and being able to bring those officers from around the state to one place to share that,” Albano explained. “It helps. It helps with the healing as you move beyond the loss.”

Engraved bricks with the names of K-9s surround a bronze statue of former Temple Terrace K-9 Aramis.

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“They just give genuinely of themselves for us without thought,” Bradenton Master Patrol Officer Joshua Small said. “So, it’s the least we can do is to honor them in this way.”

The Bradenton Police Department was one of many departments laying roses at the statue, as it honored its own K-9 Riggs, who retired in 2020 as an apprehension and narcotics dog.

“They are family members,” Small said. “They’re squad members, they’re employees, they’re everything.”

This year, three K-9s will have a star on their brick too, since they died in the line of duty.

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