COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A K-9 in Cobb County has died at seven-years-old, according to the sheriff’s office.

Athos, the first German Shepherd in the sheriff’s office joined the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office in 2017.

He was initially assigned to Dep. Maldonado before being reassigned to Dep. Lucas-Dykstra in 2020.

“We built our bond on trust and a deep emotional connection. Athos was more than my partner, he was my best friend and my family. He was the nose and eyes that I didn’t have. He had an incredible sense of smell that was used several times to help find people,” Lucas-Dykstra said.

Lucas-Dykstra and Athos lived under the same roof, according to officials.

Athos was trained in the tracking of lost or missing persons and article searches.

One time, Athos helped locate a missing 10-year-old autistic boy who ran away from home.

Another time, Athos found a 15-year-old boy who was making threats of suicide in the woods, just by smelling the boy’s bicycle seat.

Athos was scheduled to be medically retired later this year, according to officials.

His death was due to complications from cancer. Officials said Athos will be missed.

A memorial for Athos will be held on Tuesday in Marietta.

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