K-9 Blek enjoys retirement with Ben Roethlisberger

PITTSBURGH — On the very first day off the job, K-9 Officer Blek enjoyed some time with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

On Tuesday, K-9 Officer Blek, whose handler was killed in the line of duty earlier this year, officially retired from the Ligonier Township police force.

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The Ligonier Township Police K-9 Unit Facebook page posted some photos of Blek and Big Ben Wednesday evening.

Blek spent six years with Lt. Eric Eslary, who was killed in a wrong-way crash on Route 30 in May.

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At Tuesday’s township supervisors meeting, Blek was retired from the force and officially handed over to the care of Eslary’s widow, Mary Beth Eslary.

• Ligonier supervisors officially retire K-9 Blek from township police force

“I worked really hard with Blek after Eric passed to be his master, and I think he's done really well with me as that,” Mary Beth Eslary said.

“I'm not sure we can expect Blek to be fully responsive to another K-9 handler, and I think at this point, it was the right thing to do, and obviously, he's well-loved and well taken care of,” Ligoner Police Chief Michael Matrunics said.

Township supervisors also retired Eric Eslary’s badge number during the meeting.

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Blek will serve as the grand marshal of the Fort Ligonier Days Parade scheduled for Oct. 10.

WPXI