NEW BERLIN — Services with the honor guard today for fallen New Berlin Police Department K-9 Condor won’t be open to the public, according to a Facebook post by the city.
"Due to the overwhelming love and support shown to our beloved K9 Condor, we are asking that the ceremony with Honor Guard which will be held on Friday, May 26th, be limited to public officials, police personnel, city staff and K-9 Condor’s family as we simply do not have the space to accommodate our caring community as a whole. For this reason, we will be recording the ceremony and posting this on our social media pages. We sincerely thank the community for their love and support for K-9 Condor and Sgt. JJ Ament during this time. The response to K-9 Condor’s passing has truly shown the caring heart of the city of New Berlin and beyond," the post said.
In September, K-9 Condor was diagnosed with terminal cancer, but was able to continue working while receiving treatment for hemangiosarcoma and never missed a day before or during his treatment. However, on May 18 Condor began to bleed internally while on duty and was taken to the Wisconsin Veterinary Referral Center-Waukesha.
"Condor, being the strong dog that he was, allowed all of his friends and co-workers to say goodbye and was given full police honors before he passed peacefully in the arms of his handler, Sergeant JJ Ament, and his wife," reads the Facebook post.
K-9 Condor was often seen performing his duties in communities around the county, including the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy and assisting the search for a suspect who shot two police officers in Delafield. For his service, Condor received several awards, including Wisconsin Law Enforcement Canine Handler Association Meritorious K-9 Apprehension Award, Wisconsin Professional Police Association Meritorious Award, New Berlin Police Department Combat Cross and West Allis Police Department Valor Award.
