K-9 With Terminal Cancer Cheered On “Last Ride” Around Town

K-9 Grimm, a German Shepherd Dog who served the Andover Police Department in Massachusetts for a decade, was tragically diagnosed with terminal lung cancer this month. Rather than have him suffer through the painful disease, his handler made the difficult choice to have him put peacefully to sleep.

Sgt. Mickey Connor, Grimm’s handler, had worked with the dog for 10 years, the entire length of the K-9’s service. Working dogs and their handlers develop very close relationships, and naturally Connor is really hurting right now. Fortunately, his community helped him through this pain.

One Last Ride Through Town

To say goodbye and help a grieving officer cope, the police department urged members of the community to come out and show their love and support as Grimm took one final ride through Andover. The people of Andover and the greater Boston area really came through for Grimm and Sgt. Connor.

Grimm took his last ride around town on January 19th, 2022. It was more than his typical ride along though, as fans and neighbors stood by the side of the road holding signs and cheering.

As they drove down Main Street in Andover, the K-9 stuck his head out the window and watched his supporters. Connor and Grimm’s cruiser led a parade of other police vehicles. It was a beautiful way for him to say goodbye to his town and vice versa.

Grateful on behalf of their fallen comrade, the police shared:

“We would also like to thank the citizens of Andover for their outpouring of love and support, this was particularly touching for us and I know it meant the world to Sergeant Connor. The void left by the unexpected passing of Grimm will be a difficult time for us to deal with but your support has made this a little easier.”

Farewell To A Legend

For several days prior to his final ride, Grimm had shown signs of illness. The dog’s veterinarian conducted some tests and learned he had a very aggressive form of lung cancer. The cancer had already metastasized to Grimm’s lymph nodes by this time.

For poor Grimm’s sake, the veterinarian recommended he be mercifully put to sleep. Following his loving farewell from the town, Grimm crossed the rainbow bridge.

Though his loss is huge for his community, Grimm did some important work during his service. The Andover Police shared in a Facebook post:

“Sergeant Connor and Grimm have been an exceptional team, serving the Town of Andover for ten years. This dynamic duo has done almost everything, and did it with great success! They were at the Boston Marathon Bombing, the Watertown Standoff, they have competed in numerous USPCA dog trials, located missing people, apprehended criminals, and found over a hundred pounds of drugs over their career together.”

In addition to hero work, Mickey and Grimm spent time educating the public, teaching incoming freshmen at Andover High School about drugs and police work every year. They also participated in “Where’s Grimm Wednesday,” when locals were encouraged to locate the police dog and his handler.