Nichole Manna

The Jackson Sun

A dog who helped catch criminals for the Jackson Police Department, and who was an integral part of his partner's family, was honored Wednesday.

Farro was a German shepherd from the Czech Republic who served the city for six years with Officer Jeremy Stines.

Farro died July 19 after police received news that he had cancer.

Farro was more than a police dog to Stines — he was a member of his family and his best friend.

"He was a great dog, not only to me and department, but also my family as well," Stines said. "I guess the hardest thing about losing him was seeing how my family reacted. It was a really sad situation."

The police department honored Farro on Wednesday with a memorial, which was attended by many members of the department and Stines' wife and two kids.

Stines was given a plaque with a picture of him and Farro and inscribed with the canine memorial, which in parts says: "Born to love, trained to serve, loyal to the end, best friends to our nation's finest, we serve our master, who serves mankind ... a partner faithful beyond words."

"It's an honor," Stines said about the memorial.

The biggest thing Stines learned in his relationship with Farro, he said, is patience.

"When you first get a dog, and of course I was a new handler, but when you first get a dog, it's all about patience," he said. "It's about learning how to recognize the dog's actions. If he's searching, you've got to be able to recognize what he's searching for."

Stines said he plans on staying in the K9 Unit, but his future partner will have some big paw prints to fill.

"Next month actually, I'm going to get another dog and start the process all over again," he said. "We're going to start from square one again. I'm just hoping the new dog I get fills the paws that Farro had."

Farro was the department's first dual-purpose dog who helped in drug detection and criminal apprehensions.

He tracked and caught at least 50 violent criminals and found more than 300 pounds of assorted illegal drugs throughout his career.

Farro also helped in property seizures totaling more than half a million dollars.

Reach Nichole Manna at (731) 425-9657. Follow her on Twitter @NicholeManna