A long line of Portsmouth police vehicles drew worried attention as officers traveled along Jackson Street.
People wondered what had happened.
Why were so many officers there?
The answer was heartbreaking.
Portsmouth Police were giving retired K9 Sita one final escort.
Sita, the longtime partner of Officer Mike Queen, was taken from home to Shawnee Animal Clinic, where officers and those who loved her gathered for her final End of Watch.
Shawnee Animal Clinic said it was honored to help Portsmouth Police say goodbye to a dog who had spent years serving the community.
“Sita dedicated her life to serving and protecting her community alongside her handler,” the clinic wrote. “She was a partner, a protector, and most importantly, a beloved companion.”
The clinic said Sita’s final moments were peaceful and surrounded by love, compassion, and dignity.
From Police Partner to Family
Sita joined the Portsmouth Police Department in 2017 after Officer Queen was given the opportunity to become her handler.
Queen later wrote about how quickly the partnership became something more.
At first, Sita was cautious around him. Within days, he said, she had bonded with him and trusted him.
During her career, Sita assisted in criminal apprehensions, drug finds, and other police work. Queen wrote that she was not only a working dog, but a partner who stayed close and watched his back.
She also had a gentler side.
Queen remembered sitting with her in a cruiser while she rested her paws on him, and said she had become part of his family long before she retired.
Sita eventually left active duty and spent her retirement at home with Queen and his family.
What “End of Watch” Means
In law enforcement, “End of Watch” is traditionally used to mark the end of an officer’s service, especially after death. Agencies also sometimes use final radio calls, escorts, salutes, and other honors for retired K9 partners when they die. Similar final rides have been used around the country to honor police dogs as members of the law-enforcement family.
For K9 handlers, that loss can be especially personal.
A police dog works beside one officer day after day, often riding in the same cruiser, training together, going into dangerous situations together, and eventually living with the handler’s family.
Police handlers frequently describe those dogs not simply as equipment or working animals, but as partners.
That is why Sita’s final trip drew so many police cars.
It wasn’t an emergency.
It was a goodbye.
Shawnee Animal Clinic summed it up simply:
“Your watch is over, sweet girl. Rest easy.”
For Officer Queen and the Portsmouth Police Department, Sita’s years of service may be over.
But judging by the line of officers who followed her one last time, she was never just a dog.
