Retired Ohio sheriff and his police dog die on same day

A retired Ohio sheriff and his chihuahua-rat terrier mix K-9 partner on Wednesday both passed away of different causes, The Associated Press reports.

Hours after Geauga County Sheriff Dan McClelland, 67, lost a lengthy battle with cancer, his 16-year-old drug-sniffing dog Midge also died. The officer’s family said the longtime duo will be buried together.

McClelland served on the county’s force for 44 years, 12 of which he spent with Midge as his companion. He had specifically selected the tiny dog, the runt of her liter, to work alongside him due to her small stature and mild manners, according to the AP.

Midge, who in 2006 set the world record for Guinness World Records’s smallest police dog, reportedly made quite a name for herself during her time on the force. 

“He used to joke that people would see him in a parade in a car and would say, ‘Hey, there’s Midge and whatshisname,’ ” Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand told the AP. “I think she was more popular him.”

Retired Lt. John Hiscox, a former spokesman for the sheriff’s office, added, “It was like bringing Elvis Presley to the midway.”

Upon retiring in 2013 after 13 years as sheriff, McClelland and his wife took Midge along as they traveled cross-country.

Hilldenbrand reflected on McClelland after his death, saying he was didn’t think McClelland would ever have retired.

“He spent 44 years protecting people in this county and, quite frankly, he loved his job, every minute of it,” he said.