(Posted June 29, 2023)
The funeral service for K9 Andor, a canine officer with the Plain City Division of Police, is set for 10 a.m. July 1 at Plain City Elementary School, 580 S. Chillicothe St. Andor will receive full police honors following his on-duty death on June 18.
The public is invited to attend the funeral service. Doors open at 9 a.m. The public is asked to park in the main parking lot in front of the school. Law enforcement will be directed to park in the bus loop on the north side of the school. Cruisers will be lined up to join the procession which will immediately follow the funeral services.
The procession will exit the school heading northbound on South Chillicothe Street where it will proceed to West Main Street (State Route 161) heading westbound through uptown Plain City. It will continue to South Jefferson Avenue (U.S. Route 42) heading southbound. The procession will end when it reaches the Plain City Police Department on Village Boulevard. Law enforcement will be dismissed at that time and should continue southbound on U.S. Route 42 as they return to their respective communities.
The public is encouraged to line the processional route to say their last goodbyes and to thank Andor for his years of dedicated and loyal service to the community and the surrounding areas.
On June 6, Andor and his handler, Officer Josh Hirtzinger, were participating in routine training when Hirtzinger noticed a change in Andor’s behavior. Andor was transported to Plain City Animal Hospital and examined by Dr. Daniel Lynn who diagnosed Andor with an aggressive form of lymphoma.
At that time, Andor was given an estimate of no more than three months to live. Lynn encouraged the Plain City Division of Police to continue to allow Andor to work active duty to whatever degree he could handle. The veterinarian characterized the patrol vehicle and K9 patrol as Andor’s “happy place” and felt Andor should continue working as long as he could physically handle it. Plain City Animal Hospital has donated all of Andor’s veterinary care since Andor’s first day with the police department.
The Division of Police command staff met with Hirtzinger, and it was unanimously decided that Andor would continue to work in whatever capacity he was able. They expected to have a few more months to digest and process the news and to determine end-of-life plans, however, Andor only had about 12 days left and passed away near the end of his working shift on June 18.
Andor was a 7-year-old German sheperd, joining the Division of Police in March 2018. He was a beloved member of the Division of Police and the Plain City community. He was responsible for many searches, criminal apprehensions, drug alerts, and arrests, making Plain City and the surrounding communities safer places. Andor also participated in countless community engagements where children, the elderly, and everyone in between interacted with him and witnessed his skills firsthand.
