Sultan was the first police dog ever to work with the Yarmouth Police Department

Dozens of officers in a Maine town gathered last week to salute a police dog who spent most of his life serving his community.

The Press Herald, Shawn Patrick Ouellette / AP

He was brought to the department as a puppy in 2003 after Officer Mike Vogel asked to start a K9 unit, according to the Press Herald.

"He's such a proud dog, always watching," Vogel told the newspaper.

Sultan worked with the department until 2012, when Vogel accepted a new job in Florida. Vogel retired Sultan and he became a pet to South Portland canine officer Shane Stephenson.

After the dog began suffering seizures, Stephenson said he knew his time on Earth was drawing to a close.

So on Friday, the department bid him farewell.

The Press Herald, Shawn Patrick Ouellette / AP

Many of the officers petted and scratched the 13-year-old dog before he was escorted to the clinic by cars with lights flashing.

Officers stood outside the clinic, holding a salute as he was carried in.

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