GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grand Rapids K9 has entered retirement.
Atos’s last day was Saturday, May 28 after eight years of service, according to the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD).
Police say Atos (a.k.a. “Toasty”) was appointed to detect explosives and serve on patrol duty.
We’re told Atos and handler Sgt. Jeff Dionne searched Van Andel Arena roughly 200 times ahead of concerts and other events. They also swept venues before presidential candidates arrived to speak during multiple election campaigns, GRPD adds.
“If you’ve seen one of our K9s at a neighborhood or school event, it was most likely Atos,” says Sergeant Dionne.
Atos has since been handed over to Sergeant Dionne’s family.
GRPD says Rip, an 18-month-old Belgian Malinois, will fill Atos’s vacancy alongside Officer Jake Newton with a specialty in sniffing out narcotics and patrol work.
