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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.”
In pictures: Ottawa shootingShow all 43 1 /43In pictures: Ottawa shooting In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Several police officers walk near downtown Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting An Ottawa police officer runs with his weapon drawn outside Parliament Hill in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting A photograph of Corporal Cirillo just moments before the fatal shooting
Twitter/Kamakazi19982
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Tourist Megan Underwood posed with Corporal Cirillo before the shooting
Megan Underwood, via Facebook
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Flowers placed at the gate of the John Weir Foote V.C. Armouries in Hamilton, Ontario where it is believed the soldier who was killed in the attack was based
AFP
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Police search cars and pedestrians as they leave the Alexandra Bridge near the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa
AP
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Armed police officers walk down Queen Street near Parliament Hill, close to the scene where the gunman was later shot and killed
AP
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Armed police teams enter Centre Block at Parliament Hill in Ottawa
AP
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting A small plane equipped with surveillance equipment flies over the scene of multiple shootings in Ottawa
AP
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Head of RCMP Bob Paulson briefs Canadian prime Minister Stephen Harper on the shootings at Parliament Hill in Ottawa
AP
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting An Ottawa police officer runs with his weapon drawn outside Parliament Hill in Ottawa
AP
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting RCMP and Ottawa police cruisers on Wellington St. stand guard
Getty Images
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Properties in central Ottawa were forced to shut
PA
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting An Ottawa police officer and service dog run up Metcalfe Street following shootings in downtown Ottawa
Reuters
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting The Conservative Party caucus room is shown shortly after shooting began on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Police teams enter Centre Block at Parliament Hill in Ottawa
AP
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Police attempt to secure a portion of downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill
EPA
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Armed RCMP officers approach Centre Block on Parliament Hilll
EPA
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Armed RCMP officers guard access to Parliament Hilll following a shooting incident in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Police officers take cover near Parliament Hilll following a shooting incident in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting RCMP intervention team members clear the area at the entrance of Parliament hill in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Armed RCMP officers race across a street on Parliament Hilll following a shooting incident in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting A still image captured from video footage by the Globe and Mail newspaper shows police officers responding to shooting attacks inside the Centre Block of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa
Reuters
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting A police officer holds back the public from Canada's National War Memorial as CPR is performed on a shooting victim in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Paramedics and police pull a victim away from the Canadian War Memorial in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Emergency personnel tend to a soldier shot at the National Memorial near Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The soldier was standing guard when an unknown gunman shot him
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Police and medical personnel moving a wounded person into an ambulance at the scene of a shooting at the National War Memorial in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting A police officer closes off the scene near the Canada War Memorial following a shooting incident in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Armed RCMP officers guard the front of Langevin Block on Parliament Hilll following a shooting incident in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting A car thought to be the car of one of the suspects is pictured on Parliament Hilll following a shooting incident in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Police officers guard Parliament Hilll following a shooting incident in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting A Royal Canadian Mounted Police intervention team walks past a gate on Parliament hill in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting A heavily armed Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer stands guard at 24 Sussex, the residence of Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper after a reported shooting at Parliament building in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting A police officer secures the scene of a shooting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting A Royal Canadian Mounted Police intervention team responds to a reported shooting at Parliament building in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Police at the scene of a shooting at the National War Memorial in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting A heavily armed RCMP officer enters 24 Sussex Dr., the official residence of the Prime Minister
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard makes a statement in regarding the shooting at the Parliament in Ottawa at the legislature in Quebec City. A soldier standing guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa has been shot by an unknown gunman and there have been reports of gunfire inside the halls of Parliament
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Police cordon off a street leading to Parliament Hill in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Police vehicles block a road near Parliament in Ottawa
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting An ambulance arriving at the scene
Eric Twitty
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Emergency vehicles at the National War Memorial following a shooting incident in Ottawa
Gerry Byrne
In pictures: Ottawa shooting Ottawa shooting Canadian police outside Parliament
Mike Kujawski
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.
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