BRAINTREE, MASS. (WHDH) - Community members gathered in Braintree Thursday for the unveiling of a memorial in honor of Braintree Police K9 Kitt.
Kitt was shot and killed while searching for an armed suspect in June, 2021. At Kitt’s memorial unveiling this week, a group of five Braintree children who helped raise money for the statue honoring Kitt discussed their efforts.
“We were going to Kitt’s drive by funeral and we got in the car and we thought, ‘Why don’t we make something to contribute to what Kitt did?’” Sophia Whitelaw said.
The group went to work, raising more than $24,000 through lemonade stands, cornhole tournaments and other efforts.
Two years later, those funds have transformed the group’s idea to a reality.
“I hope people who come and see the statue think of all the sacrifices he made and think of all the police officers that have died in the line of duty,” said Marina Whitelaw on Thursday.
A big crowd was on hand for the ceremony. With streets lined with police cars, K9s from other departments also paid their respects.
“I and the community cannot thank you guys enough for what you did,” said K9 Kitt’s handler Officer William Cushing to the children who raised money for Kitt’s memorial.
“I miss and think about Kitt everyday,” Cushing said. “I knew he gave his all each time we went out and he truly inspired me to do the same.
Cushing continued, thanking the community and telling community members his and Kitt’s service was worth it because of the community.
“Like K9 Kitt lived his life, keep moving forward,” Cushing said.
The new memorial to Kitt is located at the corner of Cleveland and Union streets. The memorial statue stands in front of a memorial to other fallen Braintree officers, which was rededicated on Thursday.
(Copyright (c) 2023 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)