During a funeral, the dog kept barking at its owner’s coffin. After some hesitation, the people opened it and screamed in horror. The day of Officer Ethan Carter’s funeral dawned bright and cold, with steady rain falling as the group of mourners filed into the cemetery gates.
The man’s family, whom he hadn’t seen in almost 5 years, had arrived from California to New York that morning. They took their seats beside the coffin as Ethan’s fellow officers arrived on the scene. All of the officers were dressed in uniform, all except the large dog who walked beside them. The dog Max had been the fallen officer’s partner with the department, and after losing his companion, he was understandably devastated.
The pair of them had gotten off to a rocky start, but within months, they had become inseparable. And now, the canine officer was heartbroken at the man’s unexpected passing during the interruption of a warehouse robbery. The officers took their places among the mourners and coffin, allowing the loyal dog to lie down by their feet. At first, things were silent, save for the soft sobs coming from Ethan’s family. It wasn’t until Max finally stood and approached the coffin that the atmosphere began to shift.
The canine officer had been sniffing along the edge of the casket, soft whimpers coming from Max’s throat. It wasn’t until the animal let out a loud bark that caused most of the guests to jump that the other officers came forward, attempting to pull the dog away. The canine officer, however, continued to bark at the grave, pulling on the leash as he was removed. Everyone thought that the canine was simply overwhelmed with grief. However, nothing could have prepared them for the shocking truth they were about to uncover.
When Officer Ethan Carter joined the police department in 2012, he immediately decided to try and qualify for the canine partner unit. As a child, Ethan had always loved dogs and never went anywhere without his childhood canine companion. The loyal dog had passed away 2 years prior, and while the man was still upset, he was ready to let a new best friend into his life.
Max, a three-year veteran of the canine division, had recently lost his partner due to unforeseen circumstances. Normally, dogs in Max’s situation would be put up for adoption through the program’s partnership with local shelters. However, the K9 officer was not always trusting of new people, making it difficult for him to be adopted. The dog’s best chance was to find and bond with a new partner.
Numerous officers had been assigned to Max over the last year, and while the dog did his best to protect his human partner’s back, he never seemed to bond with any of them. Due to this, the brave canine suddenly found himself listed as “difficult to place.” Dogs who had trouble bonding with partners would often be released from their duties, and for Max, time was running out.
That was until Ethan found himself assigned as the dog’s partner. The officer had been warned ahead of time that he would have trouble getting close to the dog, yet the man was hopeful. When the day came to meet his new partner, Ethan came equipped with treats as well as a soft dog bed in the back of his patrol car.
The man waited eagerly in the police station parking lot as Max was brought out. As soon as the canine officer arrived, escorted by another officer, Ethan came forward. Unable to wait any longer, the man put his hand out towards the dog, as he’d been instructed to do. Max, for his part, sniffed the officer curiously, barking once before laying down as his lead was handed over.
The newly joined partners suddenly found themselves alone in the empty lot, and the man whistled softly as he moved towards his car. His canine partner followed behind, slowly jumping inside the open door and curling up on the seat opposite the bat. Ethan frowned in response but got in the driver’s seat anyway. He hoped that eventually, the dog would come to trust him as much as he had the original officer.
The first week passed by in a blur. Not much happened in a small town like this, so most of the calls were easy. The pair worked well together, and while the job was always done perfectly, Ethan couldn’t help feeling sad at Max’s continued lack of bond with him. The dog would follow along after the man at every scene, comply with commands, and even eat the food that was provided. However, when it was time to retire from their shift, the canine would head back to the kennels at the station instead of heading home with his partner.
Most of the dogs lived with their human officers after shift, yet Max never showed any interest in that. Ethan had gone out of his way to make his house perfect for his canine partner. Though he had moved to the area after graduating college and lived alone, with his family remaining in his home state. Due to this, he had decided to turn his bachelor pad of an apartment into a safe and welcoming area for his new companion.
Comfy blankets and a warm bed filled the corner of the man’s room, and several toys and treats remained sealed in their packages, awaiting Max’s arrival. Everything was ready for when the dog arrived, yet as the weeks continued to pass with no change, it seemed as if the K9 officer would never be ready to join his companion at home.
All of this changed, however, about 2 months after the pair teamed up. A call came into the station about a young girl, Katie, who had gone missing after a hiking trip. Rescue teams had been unable to locate her, and no one had managed to reach the girl through her cell phone. Ethan and Max were quickly dispatched. The dog had been the top scorer in search and rescue, and everyone was hopeful he would be able to locate the missing girl.
As soon as they arrived, rescuers brought forth a piece of the girl’s clothing donated by her parents. The canine officer sniffed it a few times while walking around the area that had been roped off before letting out a bark and running off in the opposite direction. Unknown to the officers and searchers, Katie had altered her plans, taking a trail on the opposite side of the forest.
Ethan hurried to keep up with his partner as the dog’s leash slipped from his hand. Max was fast, and the man quickly lost sight of him as he raced up the trail. The officer continued to pursue his partner, and after several minutes, a loud series of barks could be heard echoing along the trail. It seemed as if the dog had located Katie.
Ethan and the rescuers hurried to catch up. It took the group a few minutes to arrive, and as soon as they did, everyone gasped in shock. There had been a lot of storms in the area recently, and it seemed as if part of the trail had fallen off the side of the cliff and into a ravine. Katie was several feet down; it seemed as if the girl had managed to climb part of the way back up before passing out atop a pile of debris.
Max continued to bark until his partner approached, giving him the command to stop. The dog lay down on the ground as his partner approached. Unfortunately, the ground was still soft from the recent slide and began to give way as Ethan placed his weight on it. Everyone gasped as the dog stood back up, letting out a whine as
he struggled to maintain his footing on the suddenly shifting ground. The officer acted quickly, however, and lunged forward, grabbing Max by his harness and pulling the canine to safety. Rescue crews quickly moved in, carefully extracting Katie as the pair of officers were checked over by paramedics. Both were fine, and while the girl was dehydrated and had some injuries, she was expected to make a full recovery thanks to the loyal K9 officer’s intervention as well as his partners. Everyone would go home safe that night.
The pair’s shift was over for now, and as Ethan opened the cruiser’s door for Max, tears filled his eyes. For the first time in two months, the dog curled up inside the waiting bed, wagging his tail as the man patted his head. It seemed that he had finally earned his new partner’s trust.
That night, for the first time since losing his previous partner, Max went home with Ethan instead of sleeping in the station kennel. Over the next year, Max and Ethan continued to grow close, and after 15 months on the job together, it seemed as if the pair were inseparable. All of the other officers who had been unsuccessful in becoming the dog’s partner were thrilled for the pair and their unlikely friendship.
Things continued to go well for the partners until one late night in July 2013. There had been a string of burglaries over the past few months, and the thieves would target warehouses in the area with little or no security. At first, the group would simply steal products from the storage area, until one night, an unlucky security guard was found shot just outside the warehouse. The robbers were upgraded to dangerous within the department, and catching them became the highest priority.
Due to this, Max and Ethan found themselves teamed up with another officer by the name of Michael. He was a rookie who had joined the department a few months prior. With recruitment down and the dangerous gang of thieves on the loose, the department decided to allow the man to help with the warehouse robberies as long as he was accompanied by an older officer.
On this particular night, the trio found themselves patrolling a new warehouse that had just opened outside the city limits. The thieves had been getting bolder over the last few weeks, and due to a lack of funds, the warehouse owners had not hired security or installed any cameras. However, the company used the facility to store high-value items, which meant that it was a prime target for the group. The department decided to have the trio wait outside in an unmarked car to watch for any signs of activity.
Hours passed by, just as the pair was about to give up, Max let out a soft growl, and his partner looked up in time to see a dark shape slink away along the side of the building’s wall. Ethan quickly signaled to Michael to get out, and the trio approached the building slowly, weapons at the ready, as they crept closer. Michael decided to take the left side of the facility while Max and Ethan took the right.
It wasn’t long after the group split up that the K9 officer let out another soft growling sound. Officer Carter looked up to see three people dressed in black hoodies attempting to open the back door of the warehouse. He drew his service weapon carefully, demanding that the group freeze and place their hands in the air. The figures outside the door paused, and for a moment, everything seemed to be going according to plan.
Until Max suddenly let out a yelp, and the sound of gunfire split the air. One of the other thieves snuck up behind Michael as he approached alone, and as the rookie rounded the corner to join his fellow officers, the suspect opened fire. The scene quickly descended into chaos. Ethan had just enough time to radio in a distress call before he saw a man coming at him.
By the time other officers arrived on the scene, the group was long gone, and Max, as well as his two fellow officers, were injured. The group was quickly sent to receive medical treatment, and while the K9 officer’s injuries were not as severe, the department was informed by the hospital that Officer Carter had succumbed to his injuries that night. Once again, the dog had lost his partner, and the fallen man’s funeral was planned and covered by the department since his family lived so far away.
Michael, the other officer on the scene, had been placed in a coma to heal from his injuries. The family flew in on the day of the funeral, and Max, who had been under the care of another officer from the department, was brought in to say farewell to his partner. It seemed as if things were progressing as normal until Max began barking at the casket.
The other officers, including the canine’s new partner, did their best to calm him. However, nothing seemed to quiet the dog. The family was getting more upset now with the clear display of the canine’s loyalty breaking their hearts. Despite everyone’s efforts, the fallen officer’s partner refused to quiet down, and Max’s new partner found himself toppling to the ground as the dog yanked free, racing back towards the casket once again.
As soon as the canine officer reached him, his bark became frantic, and nothing seemed to calm Max down. No one was sure of what to do until a senior officer stood up and addressed the group. Over the sound of the dog’s barking, the man informed everyone that he had seen this happen before with canine officers and that usually, once the casket was opened and the dog could see its partner’s face, they usually calmed down.
The family was reluctant. No one had seen the man’s body, and due to the lack of awake and their late arrival time, the family had opted for a closed casket service. The sounds coming from Max were beyond heartbreaking, and not wanting to see the loyal dog suffer anymore, the fallen officer’s mother agreed to open the coffin.
A representative of the funeral home stepped forward, and as the lid was lifted, the officer’s mother screamed in horror. The body inside the casket was not Ethan Carter, and everyone stood in shock as the woman stood up, demanding to know who this man was and what happened to her son. Max, on the other hand, finally grew silent, lying down next to the grave. It seemed as if the dog had known all along that the coffin did not belong to his partner, and now that he had drawn attention to it, he was content to stay where he was.
Ethan’s mother was furious, and the funeral was halted as the head of the police department was called, as well as the hospital. Everyone wanted to know how something like this could have happened. How could Officer Carter have been reported as deceased and yet have a different young man placed inside his casket?
The family and mourners quickly dispersed, heading back to the police department accompanied by Max, as well as his fellow officers. An investigation was quickly launched to understand what had happened. The hospital had been the one to identify the deceased as Officer Ethan Carter, and while there had been a mistake, it was unclear as to how the mistake had happened.
The head of the police department, as well as the family, including Max and his new partner, headed to the hospital hoping for answers. While waiting for the group to arrive, the doctor who had handled the officer’s case had it downstairs to the area where the deceased patients’ belongings were stored until family members could retrieve them.
The IDs, as well as belongings, they had recovered from both officers, including the man who remained in a coma, were sealed inside the bags, carefully labeled with their names. The items were taken from the pair when they were brought in, and seeing as it had been a busy night, it was possible that the men’s IDs had not been properly checked.
The doctor wanted to cover all of his bases, and as he pulled out the bags and opened them onto the table, he realized that the hospital had made a terrible mistake. It seemed that amid the chaos of that night, it was just as he suspected. No one had bothered to properly check the IDs inside the men’s wallets.
One of the bags, which had been marked as that of the man in a coma, contained the ID of Officer Michael Collins, whose picture most certainly did not match the man in a hospital bed upstairs. With his hand shaking, the doctor hurried to open the bag that had been marked as the deceased man’s belongings. He grabbed the wallet out, and upon seeing the ID inside, rushed to call the hospital director.
The wallet inside the deceased bag belonged to Officer Ethan Carter. It was clear now that somehow a very critical mistake had been made in the identification of the bodies. As soon as the group arrived, they were ushered into the hospital director’s office, and after a lengthy discussion, as well as several apologies, the story of how this unfortunate mixup had happened came to light.
On the night of the warehouse incident, two men were brought to the hospital from the scene. One of the men had been shot and passed away during surgery. It seemed that the other man had put up a fight with the thieves. However, unfortunately, due to the injuries sustained, that officer had been put into a medically induced coma to heal, and bandages were placed over most of his face to cover the deep wounds one of the attackers had made.
It was believed that the suspect had used some sort of weapon instead of just his hands, leading to the facial damage. During all of the hectic events going on at the scene, as well as the hospital that night, no one had thought to check the IDs inside the wallets they recovered from the men. Since Ethan’s family had been across the country at the time, no one had been available to ID the deceased body, and therefore, it was assumed the hospital’s initial identification was correct.
In addition to this, due to the police department already being understaffed, they had also taken the hospital’s word and arranged the funeral based on the paperwork they had received. Both officers’ families had been contacted. Michael’s family had been planning to arrive the day after Ethan’s funeral. The only one who had realized the terrible mistake was Ethan’s canine partner, and had it not been for Max’s determination to get the casket open, the mixup would not have been realized until the wrong man had been placed in Ethan’s grave.
Both families were outraged; however, after numerous apologies from both the police department and the hospital, a settlement was reached with both parties. The funeral was held once more, this time for Officer Michael Collins. Everything went according to plan this time, and a month after the warehouse incident, Ethan, who had been placed in a coma under Michael’s name, woke up.
The man was devastated to learn of what Michael’s family had gone through and offered his condolences to his fellow fallen officer’s relatives. It took another month for Ethan to properly recover from his injuries; he had been badly beaten by the group of thieves. Max stayed by his partner’s side the entire time. The pair are still just as inseparable as they had been before the incident.
The next year, Ethan, despite his bad experience with the warehouse thieves, took the recertification test to rejoin his fellow officers. The man passed with flying colors, and he, as well as his loyal companion Max, were back on the job. To this day, the pair remained partners, thanks to Max’s dedication to his partner. The heartbreaking truth and mixup were revealed, allowing both Ethan and Michael’s families to receive the closure they deserved.
