The Pine County Sheriff's Office and Pine County Community suffered a major loss Wednesday night as K9 Officer Ben Neel passed away.
Ben is a 16 year veteran with the Pine County Sheriff's Office. He also served as a school resource officer, SWAT operator, and handler of K9 Chewy.
The Pine County Sheriff's Office posted on their Facebook page that Neel had passed away after complications from a brain tumor that had been discovered in December.
"K9 Deputy Benjamin Neel passed away last night. To say our office is sad is an understatement. Deputy Neel was a great deputy and man overall. He was everyone's best friend. This isn't goodbye, we will see you again. We love you Benny. "
A GoFundMe for Ben Neel's family was set up in December and has raised over $35,000.
Anyone interested in donating can do so online through GoFundMe or through Frandsen Bank and Trust in Pine City.
Frandsen Bank and Trust Neel Family Fund 560 3rd Ave SE Pine City, MN 55063
