Hank and Ranger are dogs on duty
Hank, a K9 with the Dunwoody Police Department. (Courtesy of Highland Canine Training)
a group of citizens founded the Dunwoody Police Foundation, a 501c3, with three goals: provide emergency financial support to individual officers injured on the job, buy special police equipment needed but not budgeted One of the PD held a contest in which voters renamed and support DPD outreach. Terry Nall, then stars at this them Hank and Ranger. a Dunwoody City Council member, helped year’s LemonWhen they arrived at Highland in early recruit board members. ade Days Festi2021, Hank was two years old, and Ranger Then COVID hit, essentially crippling the val was a Belgian was 18 months. For four months, they unCarol Niemi is a marketing consultant who lives on the Dunwoody-Sandy Springs linenew and organization. When Nall came off City Malinois named derwent rigorous training, which also includwrites about people whose lives inspire others. Contact her at worthknowingnow@gmail.com. Council in 2020, he joined the board and Hank. Surrounded being good with children, facilitated by the donated the remainder of his unsuccessful ed by kids, he staff children at the farm where the training was so calm he didn’t mind little hands petting his head from behind – something I would have never tried with my
facility is located. Their handlers, Officer Eric Drum (Hank) and Officer Chris Irwin (Ranger), each spent three weeks living and training at the farm. The intense training marked the beginning of BY CAROL NIEMI a bond for each pair that would soon go beyond work. miniature poodle. “Hank is very mellow. Eric loved that dog Hank is a K9 with the Dunwoody Police from Day One,” Parsnow said. “Ranger is Carol Niemi a marketing consultant whoChris lives onwas the DunwoodyDepartment. While he never took hisiseyes off quite hyper. very patient.” Springs about people whosejoined lives inspire his handler, DPD Officer EricSandy Drum, andline theand writesSince the dogs the force last fall, yellow rubber tug toy in Drum’sothers. hand,Contact Hankher at worthknowingnow@gmail.com. they’ve made possible arrests that would have was definitely there for the people. been otherwise impossible. Hank and his fellow DPD K9, Rang“We were called to do a car sniff in Chamer, a Dutch shepherd, are not the typical atblee,” said Irwin. “Ranger alerted, and we tack dogs of moviedom. They’re sniffing dogs, found five pounds of crystal methamphettrained to find narcotics, trail lost people or amine. I’m surprised we couldn’t smell it. He suspects and search for weapons and contrapulled me so hard he almost pulled me off my band. feet.” The trainer at Highland Canine TrainHank helped with another arrest in Chaming in Harmony, North Carolina, said Hank blee when he and Officer Drum were called couldn’t have been a bite dog even if she had for mutual assistance for a stolen vehicle with wanted him to be. three armed-robbery suspects inside. “He’s the best-behaved dog I’ve ever “They jumped out and took off running,” trained. He completely ignored our bite said Drum. “Someone’s house had recorded suits,” said Shana Parsnow, who in 2020 had them on a Ring camera. I cast Hank, and he ordered him and Ranger specifically for the tracked [two of] them to a general area, with DPD as “single-purpose dogs” from a breedseveral officers around us. I recast Hank and er in Poland. he ran straight to the third.” Their disposition and personality requireAcquiring the K9s, long on a DPD wish ments were “sociability with people, neutrallist, might not have happened had it not been ity with other dogs and environmental stafor the Dunwoody Police Foundation, foundbility.” In other words, they would get along ed by Rick Holland in late 2019. After attendwith people and other dogs and wouldn’t be ing the Dunwoody Citizens’ Police Academy, afraid of slick floors, highways, loud noises Holland was so impressed by the job the poand things other dogs find scary. lice were doing he wanted to make a finanThe dogs were socialized while in Poland cial donation. and trained in German to basic commands. Discovering there was no way to make a While they were still there, the Dunwoody direct cash contribution to the police, he and
WORTH KNOWING
mayoral campaign account to the Foundation. In 2021, he became board president. Working with the Dunwoody Rotary, the DPF raised enough money to pay for half Officer Christopher the $40,000 Irwin with K9 Ranger. cost of the dogs, (Courtesy of Stell Shots their training Photography LLC) and equipment, with the remainder covered by the DPD’s asset forfeiture account. “It was our largest project so far,” said Nall, who hopes to expand the board and grow membership. For information on the Dunwoody Police Foundation, go to dunwoodypolicefoundation.org. To meet Hank and Ranger, come to the Foundation booth at the celebration in Dunwoody Village at the end of the 4th of July parade, where they will be greeting fans and giving out souvenirs.
FREE SERVICES for our local educators July 29th & 30th
SCENTHOUND
SALUTES Educators
In appreciation to Teachers, as Back-To-School approaches, Scenthound is recognizing local educators by offering free basic grooming services for their furry family members July 29th and 30th. Public or private school employees (with a valid i.d.) can schedule their dogs to receive a FREE Basic Hygiene Treatment (bath, ear cleaning, nail clip & grind,and teeth brushing). Blow Dry NOT Included.
DUNWOODY
CHASTAIN SQUARE
TUCKER
(678) 990-1900
(470) 607-5100
(770) 538-1790 JULY 2022 | 29
