MTA Police K9 officer ‘Mac,’ who protected Long Island commuters, dies at 7

Mac was a good boy, and a good cop, his human partner said.

The MTA Police K9 officer, whose journey from a playful pup to a fierce protector of Long Island commuters was chronicled in a 2018 Newsday story and documentary, died on Jan. 30 from lymphoma, his family said.

Mac, you were my best friend, my first partner, my protector, my eyes, my ears.

MTA Police Sgt. Alison Gentile

The beloved German shepherd, who was named after his partner’s childhood neighbor, the late NYPD Det. Steven McDonald, was 7.

“Mac, you were my best friend, my first partner, my protector, my eyes, my ears,” MTA Police Sgt. Alison Gentile wrote in an Instagram post announcing Mac’s passing. “I’ll miss you forever and always.”

Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials did not respond to requests for comment and would not make Gentile available for an interview.

Mac was 18 months old when he was paired with Gentile — then MTA Police Officer Alison Schmitt — in 2017, months after the death of McDonald, who spent the second half of his life paralyzed after being shot while on duty. In a tribute to her role model, Gentile asked the McDonald family, who she knew from growing up in Malverne, if they would pick a moniker for her new partner. They chose “Mac,” McDonald’s nickname.

“We got to know Mac, and we know Alison and her family, so it was a great honor for me, my mom, and the rest of our family,” said NYPD Lt. Connor McDonald, Steven’s son, who “kept tabs” on the dog through social media over the years. “I know that Alison and Mac were great partners that did a lot of great work for the MTA system.”

Newsday journalists followed Mac for months as he trained to become among the team of canine officers…