Ottawa shooting: Nathan Cirillo's dogs wait for late Canadian reservist to return home

Photos show Mr Cirillo was a passionate dog lover

The late Corporal Nathan Cirillo’s two dogs have been pictured with their heads peeking out from underneath his garden fence, seemingly waiting for the Canadian reservist to return home.

Mr Cirillo, a father and soldier, was fatally shot by a suspect identified as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau as he guarded the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Wednesday morning.

Pictures taken on Thursday at the gate of the Cirillo family home in Hamilton show the two dogs looking forlorn, lying just centimetres away from floral tributes marking his death.

Mr Cirillo's Instagram and Facebook accounts are filled with pictures of himself with his two dogs, one of which he affectionately calls “girl”.

Many of the pictures show the dogs sleeping in his bed, cuddling up and on days out with his six-year-old son.

Mr Cirillo was a personal trainer and bouncer as well as working part-time for the military. The 24-year-old was described as a “great father” and a “kind and gentle man” by friends and family as tributes poured in after his death.

Tourist Megan Underwood posed with Corporal Cirillo before the shooting (Megan Underwood, via Facebook)

A month before he was tragically killed he rescued an abandoned puppy, recruiting a vet to help nurse the discarded animal back to health, before finding the dog a new home.

Pictures on his Instagram account show the dedicated animal lover smiling with the dog, followed by the caption: “Pretty boy and I. Found him a permanent home, hope he has a good life.”

His uncle Jim said his mother is just “completely broken” by the death of her son. He told CBC news: “She's saying she doesn't believe it … She went on the internet and she saw it and she … I don't know how she didn't pass out.

Zehaf-Bibeau was shot dead by sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers, who was given a lengthy standing ovation as he walked back into parliament on Thursday.