The Dunwoody Police community is mourning the loss of Ranger, the force’s first K-9 officer, who died at an Alabama training facility during the week of Oct. 12.
The Brindle Dutch Shepherd, who, along with Hank, a Belgian Malinois, joined the force in 2021, had been transferred to the training center as part of a planned transition to introduce him to a new handler.
“While there, Ranger escaped the facility,” according to an announcement from the department. “He was later found deceased near the facility by local animal control
officers.”
Officials said they are unsure of the precise cause of Ranger’s death, but it’s possible he was struck by a vehicle while on the run.
Ranger, a single-purpose K-9, used mainly for tracking, drug detection, and article searching, was “a hard-working dog with a great work ethic,” said Sgt. Michael Cheek, the department’s public information officer. “We are all sad. Ranger had a lot of good years left in him.”
The majority of the funds to purchase and train Ranger and Hank were supplied by the Dunwoody Police Foundation, which was founded in 2019 by Rick Holland.
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Ranger, who joined the force when he was about 2 years old, worked with several officers over his tenure, including Dylan Cavin and Christopher Irvin, both of whom retired from the force.
Both dogs were socialized in Poland and learned to respond to basic commands spoken in German. While they were still being trained, the Dunwoody Police Department held a naming contest, and Hank and Ranger topped the vote.
In 2025, Officer E. Arias and Ranger were recognized for “outstanding initiative, skill, and dedication during several high-profile, high-pressure cases,” according to the organization’s Facebook page.
Four patrol dogs remain on the force, along with Hank: Zorro, Max, and Savannah, who serves as a peer-support animal within the force.
