Laid to rest

A private ceremony today in Uxbridge, to lay the ashes of poor Brigadier to rest. Just the people who were there the night he was killed, gathered to say goodbye.

It's a beautiful spot in the hills of Durham County, called Thistledown Pet Memorial.

a year later...

and the anger doesn't really die, does it? Nor the frustration with our legal system that keeps putting dangerous losers back on the street.

Anyway, a terrific Toronto writer, Ward McBurney has written a beautiful article on the Toronto Police Mounted Unit. Give it a read.

http://storyward.blogspot.com/2007/06/get-up.html


.

Shame on our "Justice" system and shame on the people of Toronto/Ontario/Canada who just sit back and let it all happen.

"Dirk Sankersingh quietly pled out on January 15, 2007, & received a 2-year "conditional sentence", i.e. house arrest. What a travesty. We should all be outraged."

But of course we won't be. Like the nice Canadian sheep we are, we'll just let it happen. Over and over.

Your "justice" system at "work"....what a joke.  

The Brigadier poster is printed and being sold at horseshows across Ontario. Proceeds to the Brigadier Memorial Fund. I saw it for the first time last week. It's also available online.  

I just thought you all should see this website set up by Greg Adams, an American whose heart was touched by Brig's story so much that he has spent the last few months working on a tribute for him. Loads of people donated their time to putting it all together and it really is beautiful.

www.rememberbrigadier.org

It's best viewed in Internet Explorer. I don't think the text works in Netscape.
 

Photo by Paul (Dixie) Dean, the official photographer for Hoofbeat, the magazine for mounted units all over the world.  

I know a lot of people have been waiting for this particular bit of news. The poster being put out by the University of Guelph to raise funds for the Brigadier Memorial fund is now available online at their website. (click the photo to go there) 

Photo taken at Brigadier's memorial service by Toronto photographer Pavlina Krumpochova.  

P.C. Kevin Bradfield accepted an "Animal Hero" medal that was awarded to Brigadier by the Humane Society of Canada. 

Brig and a little friend 

Today, Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby presented a motion to Toronto City Council, with over 1500 signatures, to have a vote after the budget on the matter of Brig's Law. She's askig for a meeting with Justice Minister Vic Toews.

Also arranging a meeting with Toronto Police Chief William Blair to encourage him to get endorsements from all the police chiefs in Ontario and across Canada.

The sad part is, almost all changes to the Canadian criminal code happen after tragedies. Let's make this tragic and heartbreaking event a step to a better justice system. Let's not let Brig's death be forgotten, and let's try to ensure that something like this cold-blooded crime never ever happens again.

Don't just be sad, be angry. Get in touch with your local politicians and tell them how you feel. This is the only way change happens.


 

While signing petitions is very helpul, it is also CRUCIAL that people
also take a moment to write a letter to the only person that can
actually make a difference regarding our concerns about charges laid in
the death of Toronto Police Services horse, Brigadier. The matter
falls under the Criminal Code of Canada, within the jurisdiction of the
Department of Justice Canada, and a quick simple letter demanding better
protection for Law Enforcement Animals should be written to:

The Honourable Vic Toews
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
284 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0H8

Phone: (613) 957-4222
TDD/TTY: (613) 992-4556
Fax: (613) 954-0811
E-mail: webadmin@justice.gc.ca
 

please sign the petition

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/543044749 

On March 29 Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby will put forth a motion to Toronto City Council that the City of Toronto Council officially urge the Government of Canada to amend the Criminal Code to make intentional harm of a law enforcement animal an indictable offense. It is crucial that you call your local city councillor TODAY as this motion requires 2/3rds support to be introduced. Please look up your city councillor by simply entering your address or finding their name at http://app.toronto.ca/wards/jsp/wards.jsp and call them right now and tell them to SUPPORT THIS MOTION on MARCH 29, 2006. If there was nothing much you thought you could do in this matter, this is it, this IS the one most important thing you can do right now, just by picking up the phone or writing an email to your city councillor, and it WILL make a world of difference. Please don't put it off, do it now.

 

Brigadier's Law

I just found out that someone has started a website called www.brigadierslaw.ca where you can sign an online petition to get the law changed.

Please, please, please go and get involved.
 

Was down at the Mounted unit today and was touched by all the tributes and pieces of art that people have dropped off there. I didn't have time to take photos of all of them, but here are a few. Someone gave me this ceramic tile that they made. They made a larger one for the unit.

Please, if you see your work here, feel free to put your name in the comments so you get proper credit. Thanks.
 

I'm afraid the front lobby at the unit is full of reflections so I didn't get a great shot of this one, but P.C. Kris McCarthy, who was there the night Brig was killed, did this painting of him. Sorry for the terrible reflections in the glass. 

I'm afraid I don't know the names of all the artists who worked on different tributes to Brig. This one came from an elementary school teacher I believe. 

A gentleman, an artist, who heard about Brig made this lovely wood 3D plaque for the unit.

 

detail, layers of wood. 

From Brig's photoshoot, a few days before he was killed.
It was only today that I sat down and opened the folder with all of his photos from that night. I had just grabbed the one "portrait" of him and never went back to it. I'll post a few more in the next little while. 



Someone sent me this piece:




Death of a horse shattering

Mar 6, 2006

A couple of years ago, when my younger brother Tim was training to be a part of the Metro Police Mounted Unit, I had an opportunity to go down to the stables and visit. It was quite wonderful. Wonderful to be around so many magnificent creatures and wonderful to see the change in my brother, to see him falling in love with horses.

I watched him grooming them and talking to them, stroking their velvety muzzles and affectionately patting their massive flanks and necks. I realized then how good this was for Tim. How good it would be for anyone. Animals, especially domesticated creatures, are precious gifts to humans. If we allow ourselves to be touched by them and connect with them, they reward us with life-changing riches.

My brother was then and is still a member of the ETF. The elite emergency task force. He is a sergeant and has the safety and care of many people as his responsibility. He daily faces situations and crises that I can barely write about from the safety of my home. So, it was with great joy that I watched him interacting with these gentle giants, saw the stress falling off of him, saw some of the armor dropping away. I know that, even though he has yet to officially join the mounted unit, but has stayed with the ETF where he is currently needed, the bond he created with those horses has never left him. He very often drops in to see them, to ride them, to talk to them, to re-connect.

And so it was that I felt my breath being coldly sucked away this past Saturday as I opened the paper to see the photo of several desperate officers draped over the body of a maimed and dying police horse, deliberately struck by a hit-and-run vehicle. The heartbreaking beauty of that photo has remained with me. It is the essence of love and nobility and sacrifice. Something told me to call Tim then and when he couldn't come to the phone I knew that what was just a terribly sad news story to me was a black hole for him.

The universe moves mountains sometimes to teach us hard lessons. That night, it had seen to it that Tim had been on duty and was called to the scene where his beloved Brigadier, his favourite, lay torn and bleeding on a cold, wet road.

He told me later, that as he approached the scene he only needed to see that golden tail to know who it was. He told me through a voice taut with emotion about the tears in the eyes of the other mounted officers there, of the gentleness and the tenderness with which they pled with Brigadier to lie still and of the horse's agonizing efforts to raise his once magnificent body to its feet.

And as the precious minutes passed and frantic radio calls were unable to bring a vet and any kind of relief, the universe pointed its unwavering finger and laid its enormous burden upon the weary shoulders of my brother and those other officers there who loved this animal so deeply. The call was made. The shotgun was loaded and my brother, my hero, stroked his friends muzzle and whispered to him one last time.

--- Neil Crone

Copyright © Metroland, Durham Region Media Group. - All rights reserved.

Death of a horse shattering
durhamregion.com - Mar 6, 2006

Poster made by someone touched by Brigadier. 

Written by one of the mounted cavalry officers who rode at Brig's memorial:

http://www.maharaj.org/blog-mar06.shtml#b06
 

please, get angry.

I'm going to keep Brig's blog and Brig's memory alive by constantly updating you on what's happening about the fight to get the law changed in Canada to protect police officers who happen to be horses and dogs. 


Please, get angry. Get motivated. Call your local MP. Tell him how you feel. Let's have something positive come out of this tragedy. I know you can do it.

Get angry. In the words of the late Pierre Berton, regarding another battle I was involved in, (which was won) "Get mad as hell!"

P.C. Vicki Montgomery on Brig. 

March 10, 2006.


Lindsay Luby to Campaign for Tougher Laws to Protect Police Service Animals

Toronto City Hall - Gloria Lindsay Luby, Toronto City Councillor (Ward 4 - Etobicoke Centre) and former Chair of the Toronto Police Services Board today launched her campaign for tougher laws to protect police service animals. Despite the significant dangers they face, police service animals are not protected under the Criminal Code of Canada. Under the eyes of the law, they are seen just as any other animal.

�We need laws that will specifically defend horses and dogs that belong to our police service. These service animals are heros on four legs and need to be protected and acknowledged for their courage and hard work.�

Along with 1,500 grieving Torontonians, Lindsay Luby attended Brigadier�s memorial at Ricoh Coliseum on Monday to pay her respects to an animal who gave his life to public service and protection for this City. The driver who hit Brigadier was not charged for harming the horse. Many officers have expressed frustration with the lack of laws to protect their service animals.

Councillor Lindsay Luby will be kicking off her campaign by writing letters to Federal and Provincial officials. She will also be presenting a motion to Council that she hopes will receive unanimous support. The Councillor will appear today on AM640 the Beat with Ross MacLeod and Craig Bromell to gain public support for the campaign.

�Not everyone realizes the risks and dangers these animals face. Taxpayer dollars pay to train them to assist our officers in protecting the public. The least the animals can expect is for us is to protect them.�

-30-

For further information please call:
Jim Burnett, Councillor Lindsay Luby�s Office
416-338-5279
March 9, 2006.

The Hon. Vic Toews,
Minister of Justice and Attorney General,
284 Wellington Street,
Ottawa, Ontario. K1A 0H8

Dear Minister Toews:

I write this letter as the City of Toronto continues to grieve the loss of one of its police heros, Brigadier. Although Brigadier was a police service horse, 1,500 Torontonians attended his memorial to pay their respects for his bravery and service to public safety.

Brigadier was killed recklessly and deliberately by a driver in a hit and run. Although the driver was charged, he was not charged with intentionally hitting the horse because there are no Criminal Code provisions against it. On that day Toronto not only lost an animal dedicated to protecting its citizens, but also lost the significant amount of time and resources it invested to train this animal. If you had attended Brigadier�s memorial, you would also realize that police officers and the general public held this animal in special regard.

There are many examples across Canada where police service animals are intentionally killed by criminals without any legal consequence. Sections 444 and 445 of the Code make no mention of police service animals as you can read in the attached.

I am asking the Government of Canada to update and strengthen the Criminal Code to include the protection of police service animals against intentional harm. These animals should be recognized for the dangers and risks they face to serve and protect the public.

There are many jurisdictions outside Canada that offer protection for police service animals. I have attached Ohio Revised Code Title XXIX - Crimes - Chapter 2921 Offenses against Justice and Public Administration for your information. Many other states have passed similar legislation.



Thank you, Minister, for your time and attention to this matter. This matter affects service animals at all orders of government. I have copied this letter to other government officials and ask for their assistance and support. The public is looking to you for leadership to bring the laws into the 21st Century.

Yours very truly,



Gloria Lindsay Luby,
Toronto City Councillor,
Etobicoke Centre - Ward 4.

Encls.

cc. The Hon. Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
The Hon. Michael Bryant, Attorney General of Ontario
The Hon. Monte Kwinter, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services
William Blair, Chief of Police, Toronto Police Services
 

There has been such an outpouring of love and concern and sympathy for poor Brig and it's heartening to the unit, I know, to reallise that so many people feel their pain. I found out today that the University of Guelph has started a memorial fund in Brigadier's name: You can click this link http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/news/news_brigadier.shtm to read it for yourself.

Gifts made in memory of Brigadier will be directed toward The Brigadier Memorial Fund at the Ontario Veterinary College to support clinical care for horses at the Large Animal Clinic.


Thank you to everyone who sent messages for Brig. He won't be forgotten. 

Down at the lake last summer, Brig would do anything asked of him.

..as so many people have said.. "You're off the concrete now, Brig.."
 

Rest in Peace Brig

I put this blog together to celebrate the life of Brigadier, the brave Toronto Police horse who gave his life while on duty. So many people have asked to see more photos of him, I'm hoping these pics will help illustrate what a loss this is to our city and our hearts.

Getting ready to ride out this morning, for the tribute to Brigadier. 

Brigadier's stall, with a rosewood urn for his ashes, that was graciously donated by someone who was touched by this tragedy. Carrots, apples and other treats have been filling the hallway for a week.  

The condolence book with hundreds of signatures and hundreds more emails. 

Brigadier's tack, his saddle and bridle, blanket and breastplate were on display in the center of the arena, along with three red roses, one for each of his main riders. 

Mounted officers from all over Canada and the United States came to pay their respects to Brigadier. 

I just had to share this beautiful tribute written by P.C. Michael Stravakis, an officer at the Toronto Police Mounted Unit. I was keeping it all together pretty well, until he got up and spoke these words today. If you click the document you can see a larger version of it. 

A Tribute to Brigadier 

I finally made it down to the barn today. I had to drop off some pictures and I thought maybe I should get some shots of the tributes that people are leaving at the unit. Brigadier's stall. On Monday, for the memorial service, it will be filled with flowers.  

A beautiful card put together by Ward McBurney, a friend of the mounted unit who emailed it to me this morning. 

Condolence book 

hundreds of emails are being printed and put in a big binder as a keepsake. 

Sympathy cards in the parade room. 

Everyone is touched by the sadness, children don't understand how this could happen. 

Every letter that arrives gets pinned on the board in the parade room. 

Get well messages for P.C. Kevin Bradfield. 

Very touching tributes from children all over the city. 

Someone was kind enough to email me a photo of P.C. Ron Gilbert at the Kingston Police Equestrian competition recently. As you can see, Brig really was a champion in every sense of the word. 

Brig with P.C. Ron Gilbert 

Winter 

Brigadier and P.C. Ted Gallipeau 

This photo was sent to me this morning, it was taken by an officer in 41 division. It shows Brigadier (P.C. Ron Gilbert on board) at a community event, the center of attention. He really was a gentle giant. The other horse and rider are Harry and Kevin Bradfield, the officer who was riding Brigadier the night he was killed. 

P.C. Vicki Montgomery on Brig, with P.C. Ron Gilbert 

P.C. Ted Gallipeau on Brig. Ted was one of Brig's first riders. 

P.C. Vicki Montgomery and Brigadier 

Brig and P.C. MacKinnon 

Brig and P.C. Angie MacKinnon 

Brig, making a funny face, itching to get home. 

Brig and P.C. Ron Gilbert  I believe that P.C. Gilbert worked the longest with Brigadier.

P.C. Ted Gallipeau and Brigadier on the CNE grounds last winter. 

Brig and P.C. Angie MacKinnon 

Brig, heading back to the barns 

Brig, last winter  It was about 40 below this day, but Brigadier was the perfect gentleman, and waited patiently for his cue. His whiskers were a bit frozen. So were everyone's.

A friend of the mounted unit in Ottawa sent me this pic of Brigadier and Spencer in the newspaper. 

Memorial service for Toronto Police Service horse �Brigadier�
Broadcast time: 16:40
Monday, February 27, 2006
Public Information
416-808-7100
On Monday, March 6, 2006, at 10 a.m., a memorial service will be held for Toronto Police
Service horse �Brigadier�.
The service will take place at the Ricoh Coliseum at the Canadian National Exhibition
grounds. The site is accessible by TTC streetcar (www.ttc.ca) and GO
train(www.gotransit.com).
Free parking will be made available on lots C, D and F along Princes� Boulevard.
Constable Wendy Drummond, Public Information
 

Brig 

Brigadier in full flight with P.C. Ron Gilbert riding. 

Brig 

We're doing a special run of Brigadier's trading card for the memorial service, to give out to people who attend. For those who won't be able to attend, I thought you might like to see it. 

The back of Brig's card 


And a press release from the Mayor of Toronto:

News Release

February 27, 2006

Statement from Mayor David Miller on death of police horse Brigadier

Mayor David Miller today expressed his shock and sadness at an incident
in the city's east end that resulted in the death of police horse
Brigadier and the injury of Constable Kevin Bradfield.

"Brigadier was a much-loved and irreplaceable member of our Mounted
Unit and his loss leaves within the unit a void both emotionally and
operationally that will take time to heal and will be difficult to
fill.

"The death of any member of the Toronto Police Service in the line of
duty is tragic and unfortunate. On behalf of all Torontonians, I extend
condolences to all members of the Service and in particular the Mounted
Unit where the loss of a friend and colleague is sure to hit hardest.

"I also wish Const. Bradfield a speedy recovery from his
injuries."

A memorial for Brigadier will be held early next week with details to
follow.

-30-

Media contact: Stuart Green, Office of the Mayor, 416-338-7119

Brigadier with P.C. Kevin Bradfield, who was the officer riding him the night of the tragedy. Kevin is recuperating from his injuries and I'm sure appreciates everyone's sentiments and sympathies. This photo was taken by a friend of Brigadier, who sent it to me to add to Brig's album. Along with a lovely poem. 



Brigadier, you Gentle Giant,
Always pleasing, always pliant.
Never one to fret or worry,
A joy to ride, a treat to curry.
Always calm when close to strife,
TO SERVE AND PROTECT - you gave your life.
Rest well, my friend and always know;
You went out rated "Best in Show!"

n&r

into the sun 


"Brigadier"
I am a horse, who's taken no oath,
I patrol the city for hay and oats.
I work long hours rain or shine,
I am a Police Horse strong and kind.
Patrolling the streets can be mean and scary.
But I'm always brave, alert and wary.
I have not chosen this life of service,
Yet I do it Proudly, without malice.
I love the public and their adoration,
Their pats and praises welcome attention.
My shift has ended, my Duty done,
I'm off to safe pastures, to play and run.
My human partners are pained and distraught,
For they loved me dearly, but worry not!
I felt your care, and Love for Me,
My patrol has ended, and I am Free!!!!!

T.P. ( written by a member of the Toronto Police Mounted Unit.)

Off the concrete,
Away from the din...
You've earned your whispering Wings
Gentle Soldier.

Rest Easy now Noble Brigadier ...


- Katherine Morgan

I remember his thundering hooves 

Brig, testing the water 

Brig, looking noble and handsome, last week. 


The Horses Prayer

I pray thee, Master, to care for me through long winter days and nights
when I can no longer earn my keep.
Feed me and keep me, and give me a good warm bed, that I may keep well,
and duly repay all your kindness when Trail Riding season returns once more.

Treat me kindly. Do not beat me when I do not understand what you want me to do, but watch me, please, and see if I might not be ill...
my back, shoulders, or feet may be sore.

Remember that I cannot go my own way, but must obey your commands, My Master,
and that I serve you well and faithfully, to the best of my ability.
Please, Master, have mercy on me. Protect me from the hot sun, the fall rain, and winters' ice and snow.

Remember that horses have long been the servants of man throughout the ages.
We have pulled the prairie schooners from sea to shining sea.
Plowed the new fields, that man might grow the food to keep body and soul together.
We helped build the mighty railroads; stayed with the cowboys
through his long night watch under the lonely stars.
We died heroically with man on the battlefield of nations.

I shall do my part, for I have learned to love thee well.
So, My Master, when I am old and can no longer perform on the trail, and thus have served you profitably, please do not turn me out to starve,
or sell me to some cruel man.

But let me die at the beloved hands of My Master, and God will bless thee.

author unknown

P.C. Ted Gallipeau and Brig. Ted was one of Brig's first riders in the unit. 

Brigadier and P.C. Ron Gilbert were partners for almost five years. 

P.C. Angie MacKinnon and Brig, last winter. 

Brigadier with P.C. Vicki Montgomery on board. 




From the Toronto Star on Sunday.
Brigadier's death a loss
Mounted police horse mortally hurt in hit and run
Constable Kevin Bradfield recuperating at home
Feb. 26, 2006. 09:58 AM
RITA DALY
TORONTO STAR STAFF REPORTER

He was called the Gentle Giant, a majestic creature that did his job with aplomb, had a horse's sense of humour and was always willing to please.

Yet in the line of duty, Brigadier, an 8-year-old prize-winning Belgian cross with the Toronto mounted police unit, was violently struck in what police are calling a deliberate hit-and-run in Scarborough on Friday.

In an emotional and heartbreaking scene, the emergency task force unit was called in to shoot the animal after it suffered two broken legs and lay on the road in excruciating pain.

Police say Brigadier took the brunt of the vehicle's impact and in all likelihood saved his rider's life. Constable Kevin Bradfield, who joined the mounted unit last May, was thrown onto the road and suffered broken ribs and neck and leg injuries. He was treated at Scarborough Centenary hospital and is recuperating at home.

Although Sgt. Mike Puterbaugh of the mounted police unit said a horse's status as an enforcement officer is something to be determined, "when we're on the street, the horse wears a breast plate that would bear the Toronto police crest on it. That's the logo of the Toronto police service that serves the citizens of Toronto."

The devastating loss of Brigadier has upset and angered members of the mounted unit and those who knew the animal. Toronto police purchased him in 2001 from a commercial horse breeder in Listowel, Ont.

Brigadier was one of 28 horses and 40 officers that make up the city's mounted unit, originally founded in 1886 to control speeding horses and patrol outlying areas. Brigadier's remains were being sent to the University of Guelph for further investigation and to be cremated. His ashes will be returned to Toronto for a memorial service.

"I think the entire city of Toronto will be touched by the loss of this animal," said police Chief Bill Blair, who attended the scene Friday night.

Blair said the force will be investigating the event "very aggressively."

"It was hard to tell (Bradfield) his horse had to be put down," said Constable Chris Heard. "The horse saved his life and he knows that," Heard said.

Friday's incident happened around 7 p.m. as four mounted officers were patrolling an area on Lawrence Ave. E. at Kingston Rd. as part of a new community policing effort to control drugs and gun crime.

A citizen called their attention to a man at a TD Canada Trust ATM drive-through who was swearing at a driver in line ahead of him.

The officers approached the car and asked him to pull over, but the man drove off, eastbound on Lawrence Ave. As the officers rode to the north side of the street, the driver suddenly made a U-turn and came back, striking one of the officers and his horse before fleeing.

A heavily damaged van with horsehair embedded in the windshield was found abandoned nearby; the suspect was arrested shortly after at his home.

Dirk Sankersingh, 42, is charged with dangerous operation causing bodily harm and failing to remain at the scene of an accident. He made a brief appearance at Old City Hall courthouse yesterday. Dressed in an orange detainee's jumpsuit, the burly, tired-looking man conferred occasionally with his defence lawyer, Al Hart, from the prisoner's box.

At his lawyer's request, the court granted medical treatment for Sankersingh and remanded him in custody until tomorrow. Hart said Sankersingh suffers from a pre-existing bleeding ulcer and also has "an unspecified mental condition."

"This whole thing is a real tragedy," said Staff Inspector William Wardle, head of the mounted unit. "Everybody knows these horses, so it's devastating. Everyone's concerned about the officer as well; he's in a lot of discomfort."

The only other case Wardle could recall of a horse being killed while on duty was four years ago when Lancer was accidentally struck by a vehicle on Strachan Ave. near the CNE grounds and had to be put down. The officer was injured and off work for a month.

In an interview at the Horse Palace yesterday, Heard said he raced to Friday's scene with a horse trailer, escorted by six police cars, hoping to transport Brigadier back for emergency medical treatment.

"I could tell by looking at him he couldn't be saved."

Heard ended up transporting the other three horses — Blue Moon, Elvis and Viscount — back to the Horse Palace.

"I never heard such upset horses," Heard said. "Blue Moon was kicking up a storm so much, I had to stop three times to calm him down."

Heard said Brigadier had a magnetic personality and a true sense of playfulness.

Despite the tragedy, members of the mounted unit were out working yesterday, watching over a demonstration in downtown Toronto. Sitting atop a brown mare equipped with a visor, Sergeant Jim Patterson said Brigadier's sudden and tragic death was "very upsetting."

"We've seen horses injured before in minor ways, when they've been stabbed or hit by pedestrians. But to have a vehicle... kill a horse, that's pretty bad," Patterson said.

With files from Paul Choi

and Matthew Kwong

copyright Toronto Star

Feb. 25.

The dangerous driving charge does not seem to cover the severity of what happened in this tragic incident. If found guilty, the person whose reckless behaviour killed this beautiful animal should be treated with the same severity as if he had killed a police officer.

Not only did the police service lose a wonderful horse, in whom it had invested years of expensive training and who, in return, gave it years of dedicated service, but the emotional cost to the officers who attended the heartbreaking scene and to the injured mounted police officer who loved him, is incalculable.

Elizabeth Duncan, Toronto 

Rainbow's Bridge, in case anyone's not familiar with the "jingles" and "rainbow bridge" mentions in a lot of the comments, it comes from this piece, author unknown. I'd never read it before yesterday, and I don't think I'm alone in that, so maybe it might be useful to post it here. 

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown...