They say dogs are every man’s best friend. Their loyalty and love are unparalleled; they also have superior sense of smell, which is why they are often used for safety or security purposes.

For the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), having dogs in their K9 unit are a great addition to the team but a recent demise seemed like a nightmare for them.

Solved a lot of cases

A 12-year-old K9 dog by the name of Tho recently passed away due to old age.

The Labrador, born in January 2008 in China, has been serving the country since he was eight months old and has helped solve a lot of cases, especially in narcotics.

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According to Bernama, Tho was paired with Sergeant Patrick Sandai when the canine was just eight months old.

They trained together for four months to find chemistry with each other before working on the field.

“Throughout his service, Tho has never disappointed me. He’s very loyal and he always asks me to play with him whenever he sees that I am not too happy,” Sergeant Patrick told the news agency.

The 40-year-old police officer felt something was amiss with Tho, and decided to stay by his side at the K9 unit on Saturday (19 September).

Tho passed away at 7.30pm at the age of 12 years 8 months.

“The doctor gave him about a week. But it felt like that day was his last day because he kept laying down and puked whenever he ate.”

“He didn’t even respond as he usually would whenever I called him. Because of this, I decided to stay with him for the rest of the day until he passed.”

Many Malaysians extended their condolences over Tho's demise and thanked the dog for being a good boy throughout his life.

Rest well, Tho. Thank you for your service to the country and we know you’re on your way to doggo heaven.