A 6-year-old K-9 in service with the Alpharetta Police Department has died.
K-9 Karlo, a German Shepherd from the Netherlands, died unexpectedly during a routine teeth cleaning procedure Tuesday, police said.
A post on the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety Facebook page said Karlo had a reaction to anesthesia and didn’t survive despite the medical team’s best efforts.
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of K9 Karlo. Karlo's handler, Lt. Splawn, shared the unexpected...
Posted by Alpharetta Department of Public Safety on Tuesday, December 29, 2020
Social media posts since 2016 when K-9 Karlo went into service with Alpharetta Police show he was beloved by his handler Lt. Andrew Splawn.
Karlo helped law enforcement track illegal narcotics and stop drug rings, Splawn said in a 2017 post.
That year, the German Shepherd also helped officers locate a runaway teenager in poor mental health and in need of emergency intervention, he added in the post.
Phone calls and emails to the Alpharetta Police Department were not returned.
News of K-9 Karlo’s passing sparked more than 200 comments on the police Facebook page Wednesday and more than 300 shares.
About the Author
