Retired K9, Bullet, is tired. He can’t walk, his body isn’t what it once was. 

Officer Timothy Jarrell raised his K9, Bullet, from the time he was just a pup.  

Even from that early age, Jarrell said he knew they were a match made in heaven.  That is one reason why saying goodbye was so difficult. 

“He’s a hero,” Marmet Police Chief J. Perrine said Tuesday.

Bullet was a seasoned veteran.  At 10 months old, he became an invaluable officer with Nitro Police Department.  Narcotics, evidence search, tracking, patrol work, bite work, Bullet could do it all, Jarrell said.

“We came here to pay homage and respect to a police K9 that had a proven, dedicated record in law enforcement,” Perrine added.  

Most recently, Bullet worked with Jarrell at Marmet Police Department, but his career expanded far beyond those two towns.  

Countless amounts of drugs have been taken off of the streets because of him.  Homicides have been solved thanks to his assistance.  

Jarrell was too emotional to speak to us on camera, but I spoke with him after Bullet took his last breaths inside of Cross Lanes Veterinary Hospital. 

“I’ve trained a lot of police dogs,” he said.  “But I don’t think I’ll ever be able to train one to be as good as Bullet has proven countless times to be.”

In recent days, Jarrell knew Bullet was not acting like the energetic dog he once was.  His body seemed tired.  His health was failing.

Make no mistake, a K9 is so much more than just a dog.

Capt. B. Oxley with Nitro Police Department worked with both Jarrell and Bullet.  He said,  “He’s your partner.  He’s part of your family.  

Perrine agreed.  “It’s a unique bond.  You love that animal just like you love a member of your family.”

Saying goodbye is never easy. 

“We’ve lost one of the best Police K9s that I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with,” Oxley said.

But what makes the transition a little less painful is being surrounded by love, and that’s what happened in Cross Lanes.  Law Enforcement Officers from agencies around the region came to support Jarrell and Bullet.

For all of Bullet’s accomplishments that I’ve told you about, these officers said there are hundreds more.

His service has made our community that much safer today.  

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