Jersey City retired detectives step in to deliver new dog to boy fighting cancer in Indiana
JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (WPVI) -- A beautiful surprise for a young boy in Indiana came from some unlikely friends hundreds of miles away.
Three retired Jersey City police officers traveled all the way to Kokomo, Indiana with a mission to deliver a dog to a young boy battling cancer.
"When Eddie said Indiana, I said 'It's a little far away isn't it,'" Det. Al Lopez said.
When they heard 12-year-old Jeremiah Dirks, who is battling a rare form of bone cancer, lost his dog, they wanted to help.
"Being that Jeremiah is now one of our honorary detectives, he's part of our blue family, so we are going to do whatever it takes to help him through these difficult times," Det. Ed Dolan said.
The officers first learned about Jeremiah when a local Kokomo police captain recruited help from officers across the country to send their patches and hopefully lift his spirits.
The collection has grown so much, and he has received patches from all over the world, including Germany, France and even Afghanistan.
Jeremiah's father thinks he's collected 30,000 patches.
With the help of "Home for a Good Dog Rescue," the Jersey City detectives found the perfect match for Jeremiah and off they went.
"Jeremiah meet Shiloh, your new dog," Dolan said.
"I'm just speechless, I love her," Jeremiah said.
Jeremiah and his family are grateful for the support from law enforcement so far away, and Wednesday's gift was extra special.
"People say that dogs are your number one best friend, but I think they're family," Jeremiah said.
All three retired detectives are members of the Jersey City Detective's Benevolent Association, which helped fund the trip to Indiana.
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