ANNISTON, Ala. (WIAT) - The Anniston Police Department is saving more than people's lives by giving four-legged pals a place on the force.
Hurricane Creek K9 in Carroll County, GA rescued and trained ‘the Anniston 6’, taking the police department from having no canines to six in just one year.
"It absolutely floored me. It's unheard of this day and age to see a police department stand up a K9 Unit from zero to six dogs in basically a year," Hurricane Creek K9 co-founder Matthew Rook said.
When people think of a police dog, typically a purebred German Shepard or Belgian Malinois comes to mind. In Anniston, their police dogs are a mixed bag of breeds just looking for a second chance in life.
"Second chances. Everybody deserves a second chance,” Corporal Taylor Underwood, K9 Louie's handler, said.
"Makes him more special to me. Because somebody dumped him and he’s proven to everybody that he’s got a purpose,” Corporal Cailee Chaffin, K9 Ink's handler, said.
"For him to be a rescue, I think it gave him a new like way of life and I appreciate that,” Corporal Jonthan Yarbrough, K9 Chopper's handler, said.
About a year ago, the Anniston Police Department got its first K9 from Hurricane Creek K9, a Belgian Malinois named Odin. After Odin’s quick integration and success, Anniston Police and Hurricane Creek made a deal and the department got five more dogs from them.
"It was scary to say to the first department, 'Hey all of our dogs are rescues', because you never know how that’s going to be accepted," Hurricane Creek K9 co-founder Samantha Walsh said. "It was a full circle moment for us and really made us realize that this is possible. That police departments will accept this rescue dog program.”
The Anniston 6 are trained for drug searches and human tracking.
"Since we’ve had the dogs, things have been going really well for the shifts and also with the surrounding agencies that need assistance with K9s,” Anniston Police Sgt. Dannis Collins said.
The saying dog is man’s best friend still applies to working dogs, as the bond the K9 handlers create with their dogs only grows stronger the more they work together.
"Some people’s dogs have different backgrounds. Mine was just out there, stray. And once you go from stray to shelter, I think it takes them even longer to bond with someone," Underwood said. "It’s one day at a time, we have to continue to work on that bond and continue to work together because we’re partners.”
"He knows when it’s time to go to work when I put his vest on but when he’s home, he’s a house dog. He gets treated like my other four dogs,” Chaffin said.
"It’s always having a partner, you know? That you can always rely on," Yarbrough said. "Super sweet, loves to be petted on, hard-working like super hard working. Like doesn’t give up. Stays motivated.”
Through this rescue program, the K9s are not only protecting the city but saving it more than $15,000.