This Photo of a Police Officer With an Injured Horse Is Going Viral For a Heartbreaking Reason

From K-9 officers to police horses, our law enforcement agencies rely heavily on animals to keep their communities safe. So when one of these four-legged officers is killed in the line of duty, the entire force mourns them like they would their human counterparts. Such respect is demonstrated in this viral photo of a Houston police officer, who is shown laying down in the street to comfort an injured police horse named Charlotte.

The story and photo are completely heartbreaking, but Charlotte immensely enjoyed her time working for the police and meeting new people. A touching Facebook post from the Houston Police Department honored the fallen horse and reflected on the special relationship with her rider, Houston PD Officer Herrejon. "She will be missed," they concluded, and after seeing the sweet photo of her last moments, we don't doubt it for a moment.