Officer James Parise with Nero.

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Nero served with the Pittsfield Police Department since 2006.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It is with deep sadness and regret that the Pittsfield Police Department announces the passing of K-9 Nero.

Nero died on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, after a long illness. He had worked alongside his handler, Officer James Parise, since 2006.

In his nearly eight years with the department, Nero responded to 419 K-9 calls in Pittsfield, throughout Berkshire County and elsewhere in Western Massachusetts. During that time, he was responsible for the apprehension of numerous dangerous felons and the seizure of more than 40 pounds of illegal drugs.

In 2009, K-9 Nero received the department's Life Saving Commendation for his actions in locating a woman who had wandered away from a homeless shelter in freezing temperatures and not dressed for the weather. Nero located the missing woman trying tokeep warm under a pile of leaves. In 2012, Nero tracked an elderly man who had wandered from his home in freezing cold temperatures. After a two-mile track, Nero located the man in a barn, where he was seeking shelter and trying to stay warm.

In addition to his enforcement and operations duties, K-9 Nero participated in hundreds of K-9 demonstrations for schoolchildren throughout Berkshire County. Nero was requested on a regular basis by the elementary schools in Pittsfield, where he and Officer Parise would teach young children about police work, the K9 program, and most importantly, how to be act around dogs in order to avoid being accidently bitten.

K-9 Nero was a valued and productive member of the Pittsfield Police Department and will be missed greatly.