LAKELAND, Fla. (WSVN) — A retired military K9 and service dog was given a tearful and hero’s farewell before he was put to sleep.
According to Fox 13, Robson the K9, lovingly called Robbie by his handler, David Simpson, retired in 2014 after working for the Air Force as a bomb sniffing dog.
He was my husband’s bomb dog. They did all kinds of trips together,” said owner Erin Simpson. “When they were deployed, he found a large weapons cache with multiple weapons and explosives, and I know that had to have saved multiple people.”
After he retired in 2014, Robbie became David’s service dog. However, after David’s death in 2017, Erin said Robbie’s age began catching up to him.
“Robbie was 13 years old, so it got to the point where he got to a really good life and his old age was taking over,” Linda Gordon, hospital manager at All Creatures Animal Clinic in Lakeland, told Fox 13. “When we got word that it was his time, we wanted to do everything we could.”
The staff at the hospital, along with Lakeland Police, gathered to give Robbie one last farewell.
“It meant a lot. It was able to give Robbie the honor he deserves,” Linda said.
“Everybody who watches that video is going to know that he was here, and he did great things, and his life was worth value,” Erin told Fox 13. “Now he and David are together and will be together forever.”
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