MARIETTA, GA – The life and service of a beloved canine with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office was memorialized during a service at the Cobb Senior Services Building, Tuesday, Aug. 15.  

K-9 Athos succumbed to complications from cancer and passed away on July 18, 2023. He was 7 years old. 

Deputy Anita Lucas-Dykstra, partner and handler of K-9 Athos said, “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. 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.” 

Athos joined the sheriff’s office in December 2017 and was the first German Shepherd in the K-9 unit. 

During Athos’ 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. 

When Lucas-Dykstra and Athos received the call, Athos was able to find the boy hiding in the bushes within ten 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.

“K-9 Athos was a beloved deputy of the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office,” said Col. Ryan Mehling, commander of the Uniformed Operations Division at the Cobb Sheriff’s Office. “He touched many people's lives through his work and attendance at community events. It was an honor to have K-9 Athos serve with us here at Cobb County Sheriff’s Office. He will be missed by us all.” 

If you are interested in donating towards the Cobb Sheriff’s K-9 monument that will honor all past Cobb Sheriff K-9s who have served, visit www.cobbsheriffsfoundation.org and donate to the Care, Compassion, Fallen fund. 

The Cobb Sheriff’s Foundation, Inc. is an independent, tax-exempt, 501(c)3 organization for the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office. 

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About the Cobb County Sheriff's Office: The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office is a law enforcement agency that executes a broad range of services which include but are not limited to Jail Operations, Court Security, Criminal Warrant Execution, Civil Process Service, Mental Health Transports, Forgery/Fraud Investigation, and Fugitive Investigation and Apprehension. Sheriff Craig Owens took over the office on Jan. 1, 2021, and leads a staff of more than 800 deputies and civilians. Under his leadership, the Sheriff’s Office has the most diverse command staff in its nearly 200-year history and is on the path to becoming the best law enforcement agency in the State of Georgia. To learn more about the Cobb County Sheriff's Office, visit https://www.cobbsheriff.org/. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Download the Cobb County Sheriff's Office App!