Died 3\/2\/16
\nHandler – Sheriff\u2019s Officer Pat Papero<\/p>\n
Distinguished Mercer County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Dog Dies Unexpectedly<\/p>\n
A distinguished K-9 patrol dog who has served with the Mercer County Sheriff\u2019s Office for seven years passed away on March 2. K-9 Officer Nero\u2019s unexpected death from an undetermined medical illness was suspected to be heart related, Mercer County Sheriff Jack Kemler said. The 8-year-old German Shepherd was partnered with Mercer County Sheriff\u2019s Officer Pat Papero. Together, they responded to calls to search for explosives. According to Kemler, Papero and Nero were working their usual detail with until midnight. They went home, and Nero died in his sleep. He was taken to NorthStar Veterinary Hospital in Robbinsville in the morning and pronounced dead. \u201cHe was well cared for, lived in a comfortable setting, and was always fit for duty,\u201d said Kemler, who served in the K-9 division of the Trenton Police Department early in his career. K-9 Nero lived primarily in Papero\u2019s home, and at the Mercer County Sheriff\u2019s Office – Airport Unit. Papero and K-9 Nero completed extensive training at the K-9 Training Academy of the New Jersey State Police. K-9 Nero conducted over 200 searches for explosives that included threats at the airport, schools, government office buildings, and retail stores. He served on security detail for visiting national and international dignitaries, assisted extensively in the search for explosives at the Princeton University bomb scare in June 2013 and was part of the security team for MetLife Stadium at Super Bowl XLVIII. \u201cThe men and women of the Mercer County Sheriff\u2019s Office mourn the loss of K-9 Officer Nero,\u201d Kemler said. \u201cOur heartfelt condolences go out to Officer Papero and his family, who provided Nero with a loving home and a great life.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Died 3\/2\/16 Handler – Sheriff\u2019s Officer Pat Papero Distinguished Mercer County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Dog Dies Unexpectedly A distinguished K-9 patrol dog who has served with the Mercer County Sheriff\u2019s Office for seven years passed away on March 2. K-9 Officer Nero\u2019s unexpected death from an undetermined medical illness was suspected to be heart related, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1265,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[15],"class_list":["post-1266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-k9memorial","tag-nj"],"yoast_head":"\n