And now, here Valor was, at his partner’s funeral, demonstrating the depth of that bond in ways that made even the most hardened officers struggle to maintain their composure.

As the chaplain concluded his remarks and the honor guard began their ceremonial duties, Valor suddenly pulled forward on his leash, straining toward the mahogany casket that held his partner’s body. The officer holding the leash—Sergeant Williams from the K9 unit—looked like he was barely holding himself together, his knuckles white with the effort of maintaining control while his own grief threatened to overwhelm him.

But Valor seemed oblivious to everything except his need to reach Marcus. When Williams finally allowed him to approach the casket, the big German Shepherd placed his front paws up on the polished wood with surprising gentleness, then pressed his nose against the surface and began to sniff.

Not the aggressive, investigative sniffing that we had all seen him do at crime scenes, but something slower and more deliberate. It was as if he was trying to make sense of information that didn’t fit his understanding of how the world was supposed to work. His partner was supposed to be alive, supposed to be giving commands, supposed to be there to work alongside him.