Fulton County K-9 deputy remembered as ‘one of the best’ during retirement ceremony

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A beloved member of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit is calling it a career. That K-9 deputy received special recognition and a sweet treat for his years of service with the department during a ceremony on Tuesday afternoon.

Surrounded by family and friends, Fulton County Sheriff’s K-9 deputy Ian was greeted with applause as he officially joined the ranks of the department’s retired deputies.

"It’s bittersweet," Sgt. Cody Slay said."He has went above and beyond doing his job every day."

Many of those days were spent chasing down some of the county’s most dangerous criminals, according to Sheriff Pat Labat.

"We’ve been able to get most of our top 10 fugitives off the street and Ian has been right there," the sheriff said. "You hear every day where K-9s have been injured and so often they’re first on the scene."

Slay, Ian’s handler and partner, says he played a critical role within the K-9 unit as an explosive detection dog. 

"He has found multiple guns over his time for his 8 years…I think the first time when he found a gun in the woods and got the suspect in the woods…I knew that day it was a turning point for me," he stated.

Now at another turning point in his career, Slay says Ian will get to experience life as a civilian pup living in the Slay household.

"Stay at home and be a dog, ya know... chase squirrels," he said.

Fulton County’s K-9 program started in 2003. Sheriff Labat says he hopes to continue to expand the program, which has grown to nine K-9 deputies during his tenure.