K9 Athos – Cobb, Georgia

Died 7/18/23
Handler – Deputy Anita Lucas-Dykstra

Cobb Sheriff’s Office K-9 dies from cancer complications

A Cobb County Sheriff’s Office K-9 has died, the office announced Friday.K-9 Athos died from complications due to cancer, according to a sheriff’s office spokesperson. The dog joined the sheriff’s office in 2017 and died on July 18. He was seven years old, said Deputy Anita Lucas-Dykstra, partner and handler. “We built our bond on trust and a deep emotional connection. Athos was more than my partner, he was my best friend and my family,” Lucas-Dykstra said. “He was the nose and eyes that I didn’t have. He had an incredible sense of smell that was used several times to help find people.”During Athos’s career, he is credited with locating several people and articles of evidence. Some of his more notable tracks included locating a missing 10-year-old autistic boy who ran away from home this past June. Athos and Lucas-Dykstra received the call about the boy at the end of their shift, and Athos was able to find the boy hiding in the bushes in 10 minutes.On another callout, Athos located a 15-year-old boy, who had made threats of suicide. He was able to locate the boy in the woods near his high school just by smelling his bicycle seat. The boy was unharmed and was able to receive further medical treatment, according to the sheriff’s office.Athos was scheduled to be medically retired later this year.”He touched many people’s lives through his work and attendance at community events,” the sheriff’s office said in an announcement of Athos’s death. “It was an honor to have K-9 Athos serve with us here at Cobb County Sheriff’s Office and he will be missed by us all.”

Submitted By Jim Cortina

James A. Cortina has been involved with police dogs since 1972 and currently on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Jim has been appointed as Treasurer since its inception in 1991. Jim is one of the charter members of the C.P.W.D.A. organization. Since 1975 he has been a certified professional dog trainer and received his Master Trainer Certification in 1985. During his career he has provided armed K-9 strike crowd control for security agencies in Connecticut and out of state security companies. In conjunction with other members of the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Board of Directors, he helped to draft Connecticut Statute 53-247(e) "Intentional Injury or Killing of Police K-9" which was passed by the Senate in 1993 and also assisted in implementing the prestigious Daniel Wasson Memorial K-9 Award in 1992. In 1993 he helped coordinate the North American Police Work Dog Association Nationals in New London, Connecticut. He was appointed Training Director for the New London County Work Dog Association from 1985-1987. He performed decoy work for Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. in police K-9 demonstrations, trained several local police department canines, and coordinated training workshops for out-of-state police departments. He participated in the United States Police K-9 Association Trials in Croton on Hudson, New York in 1985 as a decoy. He is an avid photographer and received photography awards in 1989, 1990, and 1991 and currently takes photographs for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc.