K9 cop can't help but give his partner hugs

TUCSON, AZ -- A photo of a police deputy and his K-9 captured the Internet's heart this week.

It shows the deputy getting a hug from his beloved partner.

It's pretty obvious that Manson loves his partner, Pima County Sheriff's Deputy Chase Garrett.

That love perfectly captured in a single selfie.

"He likes to give hugs, he's a huggin' dog," says Garrett. "Most of the time if were just sitting there, he'll plop his head on my shoulder and just sit there like that."

Deputy Garrett says he took the photo a couple of months ago during a narcotics investigation.

Manson is a 5-year-old chocolate lab trained as a specialized detection K9. He is used to finding evidence specific to narcotic investigations.

The two have worked together for the past three years.

"We went from you know in the car, where he didn't know who I was, I didn't know who he was really, and he didn't listen too much and now he's a great dog," Garrett says.

"He's a great partner. He's just fun to have in the car, I mean, it makes the hours go by."

Manson even goes home with Deputy Garrett after their shift.

"He's very playful, very active," Garret says. "Even at home, he just wants to be part of the family."

Garrett says he never imagined the response his photo would get, but he likes seeing his faithful partner get so much recognition.

"People don't think of them as cops or anything else, but I mean, it's good that the community actually likes police K9s and they care that much about them."