A beloved horse with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Mounted Patrol retired on Thursday.
Cannonball served eight years with the Pittsburgh police, keeping the peace as he reigned over the streets he patrolled.
“He’s a great horse, gentle, kind, patient, and pretty much bulletproof when it comes to sensory stuff Downtown and crowd control,” Officer Jamie Bush said.
Cannonball is leaving the city stables on the North Side, where he’s lived with the other police horses. On Thursday, with help from a police escort, he was taken to Bella Terra Stables in Murrysville.
“These horses are just as much officers as any other officer we have working on the street, and they deserve the gratitude and thanks that anyone else gets,” Officer Kristen Bush said.
Kristen Bush and Jamie Bush are married, and both worked with Cannonball. Thursday was an emotional day for many of the officers.
“He is probably one of the most gentle giants you will ever meet,” Kristen Bush said.
Cannonball is beginning a new chapter as a therapy horse. He will help young people, including those with disabilities and with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“This is definitely going to be the best thing for him. This is a brand new chapter in his life and hopefully a really fun one for him,” Kristen Bush said.
It’s clear Cannonball will make a splash with the clients at Bella Terra. He will bring them the same joy he brought officers in Pittsburgh over the last eight years.
There’s a celebration for cannonball on Dec. 13, when Bella Terra’s horses join Santa for a special event.