An Ashland, Mass., police dog Wednesday became the first dog to receive a state heroism award named for a Massachusetts state trooper killed in the line of duty, his handler said.
Officer Chris Alberini told the Boston Globe his dog, Dax, saved him from being shot when he climbed into an attic where a suspect was hiding with a shotgun.
“If Dax hadn’t been there, I’d be dead,” Alberini said.
Alberini and Dax were both presented with medals of valor at the Trooper L. George L. Hanna Memorial Awards for Bravery at the State House. The award’s namesake was killed during a traffic stop in Auburn in 1983.