The K-9 officers of law enforcement agencies often face dangerous situations alongside their human counterparts while receiving little public attention for their heroism, an oversight the Rotary Club of Mount Airy has sought to correct.
During a meeting earlier this month at Cross Creek Country Club, off-duty K-9 T-shirts were presented to Sgt. Barry Robertson of the Mount Airy Police Department to honor the four-legged members of the force.
They include Sultan, Draco, Barrett, Bane and Thor (who recently retired). Sgt. Robertson is the longtime city police K-9 handler.
The off-duty T-shirts were a gift from NorthEndPartners, a group that supports the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s North Tryon and Metro divisions. The shirts were designed and gifted by Rusty Gibbs, a Charlotte businessman who is on the governing board for his city’s NorthEndPartners.
Gibbs has ties to Mount Airy, with his late uncle, Alex Gibbs, a former football coach at the city’s high school. Rusty also spoke at a Rotary Club meeting last October.
The club has a longstanding commitment to the Mount Airy police K-9 unit, including being instrumental in the purchase of its first member, Bella, a female German shepherd who came aboard in 2014. The group Friends of the Mount Airy Police Department also played a key funding role in Bella’s acquisition.
K-9 officers, who receive intensive training, tend to serve for six to nine years and are highly prized for their skills in detecting drugs, tracking, article searches, suspect apprehension and handler protection
The cost of adding such a dog is about $15,000.
In addition to the K-9 T-shirt recognition by the Rotary Club, it decided to place four granite pavers in the Rotary Pup Dog Park honoring Sgt. Robertson and past K9 officers Thor, Sultan and Caro.
The park, located along the Granite City Greenway behind Lowes Foods, is a spot where beloved animals can be recognized or memorialized with such placements. The facility was organized by Rotarian Sue Brownfield and is supported by both Rotary clubs in Mount Airy and city officials.
“Members of Mount Airy Rotary Club wish Thor a long and happy retirement where he no longer wears the bulletproof vest, but can enjoy the T-shirt given to MAPD K-9s from their urban K-9 friends in the Queen City,” Carol Burke of the club’s Drug Prevention Team commented.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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