FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio — A celebration of life was held Tuesday morning to honor the life of Mattis K. Nine, the first therapy dog at the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
Mattis, a yellow Labrador retriever, died last month from end-stage liver failure at the age of 7.
Mattis was the first law enforcement therapy dog in Ohio and sixth in the nation.
The department's therapy dog program started in 2017 at the suggestion of the dog's handler, Deputy Darrah Metz.
During the memorial at Westland High School, Metz talked about what Mattis meant to her.
"In seven years, you gave so much courage to victims of crime. You gave hope to the hopeless. You gave voice to the voiceless," Metz said. "I am so blessed to have been your partner."
Metz said she still opens the backdoor of her cruiser to let Mattis out. She said she will still call his name.
"There are not enough words to properly convey how much I love you and how much I miss you," Metz said. "Seven years was not long enough. I wish we had more time."
Deputies and staff from the sheriff's office, 21 therapy K9s from various divisions from Ohio, Oklahoma and Iowa participated in the memorial.
You can watch the memorial service here.
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