Warwick honors state police dog at Sandy Point Beach

POTOWOMUT, R.I. (WLNE) — The City of Warwick alongside Rhode Island State Police K-9 officers honored the memory of police dog Ruby at Sandy Point Beach.

The ceremony occurred on Saturday evening, the one year anniversary of Ruby’s death, and was a surprise to her owner Sergeant Dan O’Neil and his family, Mayor Frank Picozzi said.

“After some ideas were tossed around, it was decided to put a bench at Sandy Point Beach with a plaque honoring Ruby,” he said.

The bench is dedicated to O’Neil and his family as well as in Ruby’s memory, and feature’s her badge number.

Ruby was adopted and returned to the RISPCA multiple times as a puppy until O’Neil adopted and trained her to be a part of the state police search and rescue team.

They were partnered for 10 years, and Ruby was named American Humane Hero Dog Search and Rescue Dog of the Year in 2018.

Ruby died at 11-years-old after an acute illness last year, the RISP said.

A Netflix film telling the her story premiered last March.

“Thank you, Ruby, for your service,” Picozzi said.