All four Sandy Springs Police Department K-9s now wear protective vests, funded entirely by private donations split between a local physician and the department's nonprofit support arm.
Dr. Peter Gordon paid for two of the vests, and the Sandy Springs Police Foundation covered the remaining two. WSB-TV reported the donation Sunday, Aug. 23, and the department posted about it on its official Facebook page Monday, Aug. 24.
The department did not specify the vest model, cost or protection level.
No taxpayer dollars went toward the purchase.
The department said it is grateful for Gordon's and the foundation's commitment to the safety of its K-9s and the officers who work alongside them.
The unit
Sandy Springs' K-9 unit fields four dogs. Three are Belgian Malinois assigned to patrol work, according to the department's website. Those dogs assist officers with suspect apprehension, lost-person searches, evidence recovery and narcotics detection. The fourth K-9 is a human remains detection dog, according to the department's website, trained to locate complete remains, skeletal fragments and drowning victims, including remains scattered over large areas or more than a century old. The breed of that fourth dog is not specified on the department's site.
Who paid
Gordon, whose professional background beyond the "Dr." title has not been publicly detailed, personally funded half the order. The Sandy Springs Police Foundation, a local nonprofit that supports the department, picked up the other half.
The foundation's website describes K-9 support as "a smart investment in Sandy Springs for public safety." Residents who want to contribute can visit sspdfoundation.org/donate.
What's next
The department has not announced a public ceremony or follow-up event tied to the vest donation. The K-9s are already wearing the gear on duty.
