Cops salute terminally ill NYPD bloodhound

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - In a somber sendoff earlier this week, NYPD officers paid tribute to an ailing police dog just before she was put to sleep.

"Another hero gone too soon. NYPD K9 Angel, who was named for Detective Rafael Ramos after his line-of-duty death, has passed away after a brief battle with cancer," the department said in a Facebook post.

Cancer, diagnosed in August, rapidly sickened Angel, a 5-year-old bloodhound, according to the Daily News.

As her partner, Officer Manuel Orellana, brought her to Rosebank Animal Hospital on Staten Island on Monday, about 20 cops lined up to salute her.

Angel was assigned to the department's elite Emergency Services Unit where she helped track down crime suspects on the lam and missing children with autism.

"Her sister K9 Liu Liu, named for Detective Ramos' partner, Detective Wenjian Liu, who also died in the line-of-duty, will continue to carry on her memory as she serves the city," the NYPD said on Facebook.

With the AP