OTTAWA (AFP) - A hero's memorial service was held in Toronto for a police horse that died in the line of duty, attracting close to 1,500 mourners from around North America to pay their respects, officials said.
The sombre service was attended by the province's lieutenant-governor and public security minister, dozens of uniformed police officers, as well as the city's mayor and police chief, who gave one of several touching tributes to Brigadier.
"Today I'm grateful to be able to say goodbye to my partner and tell him that being in the saddle will never be the same," rider Constable Kevin Bradfield said through tears during his eulogy, broadcast on CTV.
Nearby, the horse's bridle and saddle sat alongside its enlarged photo.
The seven-year-old Belgian cross was injured in a hit and run car accident while on patrol in a suburb of Toronto last month and had to be put down at the scene, officials said.
Bradfield suffered broken ribs and injuries to his neck, back and leg after being thrown from the horse.
The funeral was the second for a fallen police animal this year in Canada.
In February, a German shepherd police dog named Nitro was remembered after falling beneath the wheels of a train while pursuing a suspected car thief in Vancouver, on Canada's Pacific coast.
"Some day we'll see him again, and I promise on that day, we'll play ball," his handler Howard Rutter told 700 mourners, according to reports.
Brigadier's send-off was originally planned for a funeral home but was moved to a local coliseum after a massive public outpouring.
A 42-year-old local man has been charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing bodily harm and failing to stop at the scene of an accident, officials said
