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Police Dog Awarded Medal As His Officer Is Moved To Tears

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On December 6, retiring Ertone received the supreme distinction for police dogs: the medal of national defense. This 7-year-old Belgian shepherd from the South of France had been working alongside Frank Therou, his master and partner.https://twitter.com/F3Languedoc/status/806138195507380224?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwErtone was awarded in a ceremony which also saluted the work of dozens of soldiers. But unsurprisingly, everyone's gaze was fixed on the pup. Him and his officer had formed a partnership in the surveillance and intervention squad of the army and have worked on many missions together.

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Source : Gendarmerie de l'HérautThe dog received this medal of "an exceptional title" for his "strong contribution to the success of several, difficult interventions". Ertone's talent is catching drug traffickers - for example, in May, he helped uncover 65kg of cannabis.Il a ainsi reçu cette décoration"à titre exceptionnel", pour récompenser "sa forte contribution à la réussite de plusieurs interventions difficiles".Ertone s'est en effet distingué par son flair qui a permis plusieurs arrestations de trafiquants de drogue. Le 1er mai dernier, 65 kilos de résine de cannabis avaient par exemple ainsi été saisies grâce à son travail.

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Source : Gendarmerie de l'Héraut

Frank Therou, human counterpart, appeared completely moved by his dog's last day. They had faced death together on January 10, during an arrest situation. He tells:

We ran to help colleagues who were under fire. At the corner of the road, we were 15m from the individual who was hiding behind a car. [...] As the dog was targeting (Ed: preparing to pounce to stop the individual), the individual aimed at us with his gun. Luckily, I was with a colleague who reacted well and neutralized the individual, I think that Ertone and I would not have been here today otherwise.
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Source : Gendarmerie de l'Héraut

Unfortunately, Ertone fell ill and started to lose his sight. This was the reason the decision was taken to retire the pup. Luckily, a new chapter has opened in the book of life for the pup and Franck - the officer is adopting his partner to live with him:

His career in the army stops here, but he will now have his carpet next to the television in the living room.

Ertone will soon be a "family dog", and the officer says: "It is important to understand that a dog master in the army spend an incredible amount of time with his dog. Sometimes, I spend more time with my dog than with my children... I hope to have another police dog with the same potential and kindness [Ed: than Ertone]. A page has turned and I am moved," he said, tears streaming down his face.Découvrez son témoignage dans son intégralité ici :

Décoration "ERTONE" Reportage MIDI-LIBRE - Vincent Pereira[VU DANS LES MEDIAS]Interview du général Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, commandant adjoint la région de gendarmerie d’Occitanie, commandant le groupement de gendarmerie départementale de l’Hérault.«Ce n’est pas tous les jours que l’on décore un chien de gendarmerie, nous avons des animaux extrêmement fidèles et performants ……….. »Témoignage du maréchal-des-logis-chef Franck Therou, maître de chien d’ERTONE.« On a couru pour venir en aide aux collègues qui se faisaient tirer dessus, on s’est trouvé face à l’individu ... »Posted by Gendarmerie de l'Hérault on Tuesday, December 6, 2016