K9 Roll of Honor
K9 Hero
Rio
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
— Social Circle, GA
Heart attack
German Shepherd
Service Record
End of Watch
October 19, 2023
Tour of Duty
6 years
Age
7
Gender
Male
K9 Profile
Breed
German Shepherd
Cause
Heart attack
Agency
Department
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Location
Social Circle, GA
Incident
K9 Rio suffered a fatal heart attack around 11:00 a.m. while conducting an article search near the Oconee National Forest in Jasper County.
K9 Rio and his handler tracked the location of a subject illegally hunting on private property. Officers detained the poacher while K9 Rio located the subject's hunting location. As K9 Rio searched for further evidence, he had a medical emergency. Despite attempts to revive him, K9 Rio could not be resuscitated.
The subject was charged with hunting without permission and failure to meet recording and reporting requirements for deer harvest.
K9 Rio served with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for six years.