A brave police service dog sadly killed in the line of duty has gone viral on social media this week, after he was honored by the police department it worked in with a special casket bearing his portrait.

According to a report by CNN, the police dog was named Hondo, and was shot to death while assisting officers apprehending a fugitive in Salt Lake City on February 13. The K-9 was taken to a nearby veterinary hospital after sustaining a bullet wound to the sternum but tragically died upon arrival.

In tribute to the brave seven-year-old Belgian Malinois, the Herriman City's Police Department commissioned the Raw Tin Garage to create a custom-made coffin for Hondo's funeral, which features the dog's face emblazoned on the front.

The Raw Tin Garage later uploaded pictures of their work to Facebook, which they captioned: "Hondo’s casket ? ? What an honor it was to paint a hero’s casket. The passing of Herriman Police K9 HONDO, who was killed in the line of duty while assisting the U.S Marshal’s Office in apprehending a dangerous fugitive. #alldogsgotoheaven [sic]"

In a later interview with SL-TV, garage owner and engineer Johnny Ward stated: "It’s hard work, but there’s an incredible sense of satisfaction... "We had a lot of pressure. I think the call came in Wednesday night. And they said was: ‘Hey, we’re bringing in a casket tomorrow morning.’ I didn’t expect anything like this. Especially this dog. This dog really is a hero."

Per CNN, Hondo and his handler, Sargeant Ben Ricks, were one of the top K-9 teams in the state, and Hondo assisted in over 100 felony arrests before his death. A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, February 29, at Herriman High School.

A brave police service dog sadly killed in the line of duty has gone viral on social media this week, after he was honored by the police department it worked in with a special casket bearing his portrait.

According to a report by CNN, the police dog was named Hondo, and was shot to death while assisting officers apprehending a fugitive in Salt Lake City on February 13. The K-9 was taken to a nearby veterinary hospital after sustaining a bullet wound to the sternum but tragically died upon arrival.

In tribute to the brave seven-year-old Belgian Malinois, the Herriman City's Police Department commissioned the Raw Tin Garage to create a custom-made coffin for Hondo's funeral, which features the dog's face emblazoned on the front.

The Raw Tin Garage later uploaded pictures of their work to Facebook, which they captioned: "Hondo’s casket ? ? What an honor it was to paint a hero’s casket. The passing of Herriman Police K9 HONDO, who was killed in the line of duty while assisting the U.S Marshal’s Office in apprehending a dangerous fugitive. #alldogsgotoheaven [sic]"

In a later interview with SL-TV, garage owner and engineer Johnny Ward stated: "It’s hard work, but there’s an incredible sense of satisfaction... "We had a lot of pressure. I think the call came in Wednesday night. And they said was: ‘Hey, we’re bringing in a casket tomorrow morning.’ I didn’t expect anything like this. Especially this dog. This dog really is a hero."

Per CNN, Hondo and his handler, Sargeant Ben Ricks, were one of the top K-9 teams in the state, and Hondo assisted in over 100 felony arrests before his death. A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, February 29, at Herriman High School.