RIP to Hurricane, the legendary K9 who defended the White House from an intruder over a decade ago

An American legend goes to the Big Dog House in the Sky:

An American hero is no longer with us.
K9 Hurricane, a 16-year-old Belgian Malinois, was a former Special Operations Canine with the United States Secret Service. Known for his bravery, he became the most decorated dog in U.S. history for taking down a White House intruder in 2014 when President Obama and his family were inside.

Hurricane was part of the Secret Service's Emergency Response Team, offering protection to the president, the vice president and their families, as well as visiting dignitaries.

Most security dogs, thankfully, don't ever have to put their training into action. But in 2014, Hurricane was called on to do his duty — and he did it with distinction:

On October 22, 2014, Hurricane protected President Obama and the First Family from an intruder who had scaled the perimeter fence of the White House and was heading towards the residence. When the first attempt at intercepting the intruder was unsuccessful, Hurricane was given the go ahead by Officer Mirarchi. Despite being repeatedly punched, kicked and swung around by the intruder, Hurricane kept a hold until armed officers were able to apprehend the intruder.

No footage apparently exists of Hurricane's heroic takedown, though we imagine it looked something like this:

Afterwards the pup "was medically retired in 2016 due to the injuries he sustained during the incident." And by that time the distinguished dog had really racked up the awards:

In recognition of his valor, Hurricane received numerous honors, including the USSS Award for Merit, the DHS Award for Valor, the PDSA Order of Merit, and AMC Top Dog. He also made history as the first dog to receive the Animals in War and Peace Distinguished Service Medal, which earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

He later received the distinction as the namesake of "Hurricane's Heroes," a foundation established "to help cover medical expenses for retired working dogs."

Hurricane's owner and former Secret Service handler Marshall Mirarchi, said: "As much as we knew this time was coming there was no way to prepare. We miss him so much. A huge hole that can never be replaced."