PITTSBURGH (AP) - A statue honoring police dogs killed in the line of duty has been added to a law enforcement memorial in western Pennsylvania.

The cooper image of a sitting dog is now part of the existing Law Enforcement Officers Memorial near Heinz Field in Pittsburgh to honor four K-9 officers, including Rocco, an 8-year-old German shepherd killed last year while aiding officers trying to make an arrest.

Among the approximately 75 people attending a ceremony dedicating the statue Saturday were regional K-9 officers and their partners.

"From the beginning of mankind our most faithful, loyal, best friends have been our dogs," said Les Neri, president of the state's Fraternal Order of Police. "And for police officers, they are our most loyal partners."

Other police dogs honored at the dedication were Ulf, a Pittsburgh K-9 shot to death in 2008; Jupp, a Pittsburgh K-9 hit by a car in 1991; and Joker, a Penn Hills K-9 stabbed in 1987.

"This today is very touching," said Joker's partner, retired Officer Paul Schawalder. "Finally, these dogs are getting the recognition they deserve."

Mount Lebanon K-9 Officer Ben Himan said police dogs deserve the statue for showing courage and loyalty daily.

"He's an officer; he goes through the training," Himan said of his Belgian Malinois partner Snieper, who sat at his feet. "He puts his life on the line just like every other officer."

Rocco was killed in January 2014 after he was stabbed to death and two fellow officers wounded while trying to arrest 23-year-old John Rush in Lawrenceville, who was sentenced earlier this year to 17 to 44 years.

Lawmakers later approved a bill dubbed Rocco's Law that toughened the penalty for killing a police animal by changing the offense from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony.

"A lot of people say, 'Oh, it's just a dog,' " said retiree Douglas Nepereny of Reserve, whose wife, Dottie, volunteers at Animal Friends. "He's not just a dog. ... He's a hero."