THOMASVILLE — Nearly seven years of service to Thomasville Police Department was recognized last week when retiring TPD K-9 Kaizer was presented to TPD Officer Ryan Amos at the regular December meeting of Thomasville City Council.
Amos will take care of Edo during his retirement. Members of council and City Manager Michael Brandt expressed their appreciation for the service by Kaizer and offered that he will receive excellent care from his handler.
“[Amos] will be responsible for Kaizer and provide a loving home for Kaizer in retirement,” Brandt said.
Kaizer was introduced as a 13-month-old canine to the public for the first time in 2014. The German shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix, imported from Slovakia, was trained by Zack Grove, who was charged with training the new dogs and their handlers in apprehension, tracking, narcotics detection and article search.
Kaizer was purchased with money provided by the Thomasville Rotary Club, which announced a donation of $15,000 to the Thomasville Police Department that year for the purchase and training of two new police dogs. At that time, Cpl. Joey Driggers said that Thomasville Rotary Club had donated $47,000 to fund the TPD K-9 program from 2006-2014.
It was announced in September that a local Girl Scout troop donated $1,000 to the purchase of a new dog to replace Kaizer, and the remaining expense will be covered by Thomasville Rotary Club.
“We’re going to use the money for the purchase of a new dog,” TPD Lt. Wesley Barber said. “The officer will be going to training on Oct. 28 to get his new dog. The rest of the money for the K-9 was donated by the Rotary Club here in Thomasville. We’ve always had a great partnership with them.”
Thomasville K-9s received special attention in January 2018 when three Statesville men robbed Avis Jewelry on Randolph Street. At that time, then K-9 Edo, who has since retired, played a role in tracking down one of those three suspects. During an extensive, multi-departmental chase in which two of the suspects were apprehended, officers set up a perimeter and used the canine to track the other suspect.
Staff writer Daniel Kennedy can be reached at 336-888-3578, or at kennedy@tvilletimes.com.
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