A yellow Labrador police dog named Floor will fulfill her former handler’s last request today as she guides his funeral procession.
DeQuincy police Officer Darrell Marler died of cancer Tuesday, and his last request is proof of the bond between a dog and its handler, said Beauregard Parish Deputy Aaron Broussard.
“During the past year, since he donated Floor to me, I would bring her to see him at least once a week. Over the past couple of months we could tell that he was taking a downward turn, and I began bringing Floor to see him at the hospital towards the end,” Broussard said.
“One day he called me and his voice was different, and that’s when he asked if Floor could lead his hearse. I told him it would be an honor to make that happen.”
Floor’s visits to Marler continued to the end, and Broussard said she was at his bedside during her former handler’s final breaths.
“It was hard for all of us. He was not able to move or talk, so I brought Floor to his bedside and his hand fell off of his chest,” Broussard said. “Floor licked his hand and his eyes opened more than they had been and he smiled. I felt as if he was telling her goodbye.”
Marler had dedicated much of his last year to telling the story of the dog he loved so much. Once only known as P109, Floor previously served in the military as a bomb-detection dog and is credited with saving the lives of over 250 soldiers during a single tour in the Middle East.
Marler adopted her on Aug. 12, 2012, and began her training as a drug-detection dog for local police.
In September 2015, Marler contacted Broussard, an old friend, and asked him to carry on the legacy of one of his dearest possessions.
“We are all going to miss him dearly,” Broussard said. “And my last words to him were that Floor and I would make him proud.”
Services for Marler will be at 1 p.m. today in Temple Baptist Church in DeQuincy. Burial will follow in DeQuincy Memorial Park Cemetery.
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