Regular readers will remember the special tribute from Lt. Eric Eslary’s wife Mary Beth, and his K9 partner, Blek that we posted on July 21st…
On Tuesday, the Ligonier Township Police Department retired K9 Blek this week, and he will now spend his days as the family pet of the Eslary family –
“It has been my honor to take charge of Blek and to become his master. I want to thank the Ligonier and Latrobe Officers who have been a rock for me. Special thank you to Bob Derk (Latrobe K-9) I couldn’t of done this without you. Eric adored you and so do I. Blek and I have shared a bond since the day Eric brought him home. Please Continue prayers for us, our journey has just begun.” — ❤ Mary Beth Eslary, posted to the Ligonier Township PD’s K9 Unit Facebook page.
So what does a newly retired police K9 do on his first day OFF the job?
Well, not only does he get a visit from Big Ben, he gets to hang out with him too!
“I’m not sure we can expect Blek to be fully responsive to another K-9 handler, and I think at this point, it was the right thing to do, and obviously, he’s well-loved and well taken care of,” Ligoner Police Chief Michael Matrunics said.
Township supervisors also retired Eric Eslary’s badge number during Tuesday’s town meeting.
Blek is looking forward to serving as the grand marshal of the Fort Ligonier Days Parade scheduled on October 10th.
Thoughts, prayers & best wishes go out to the Eslary family, including Blek.
Photos: Christy Boyd
Also this week…
A Memorial to Rocco is unveiled!
Police officers from around the region were on the North Shore Saturday for the dedication of a new statue honoring slain K-9 officer Rocco.
The statue was created by artist Susan Wagner of Pittsburgh and was unveiled at the corner of North Shore Drive and Art Rooney Way, near Heinz Field.
Rocco’s death has led to the creation of Rocco’s Law, which increased penalties for killing a police K-9 officer.
In February of 2014, the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation made a contribution to the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police in honor of K-9 Rocco. Ben’s foundation also provided Officer Lerza with a new K9 partner.
“After talking with Officer Phil Lerza and getting his blessing, the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation would like to announce that we are going to get Officer Lerza a new dog. Rocco can never be replaced, but we only hope to help with the healing process and to provide Officer Lerza with another loyal partner.” — Ben, February 11, 2014.
In March of last year, students at Saint Raphael School raised $300 in Rocco’s memory and donated it to Ben’s foundation.
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