K-9 Major Retires After 9 Years With Paulding County

PAULDING COUNTY, GA — The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office held an official retirement ceremony for K-9 Major Wednesday in the conference room of the Sheriff’s Office where he was surrounded by friends, family, and co-workers. K-9 Major began his career as a dual purpose law enforcement canine with Lieutenant Billy Hurst in Sept. of 2009. He officially retired on Sept. 1, 2018 with nine years of service to the citizens of Paulding County.

K-9 Major was certified through the North American Police Work Dog Association which is one of the most difficult certifications to obtain in the canine world. He was trained in narcotics detection and patrol functions which basically means that K-9 Major could locate illegal drugs and criminals. Throughout his career he was responsible for seizing thousands of dollars’ worth of illegal narcotics and numerous felons.

Sheriff Gary Gulledge said, “As a retired K-9 handler myself, I know exactly how much of a bond the canine handler and the dog can have. Billy and Major were an exceptional team and helped keep Paulding County safe for many years. We will be forever indebted to K-9 Major for the selfless contributions he has made to our county.”

K-9 Major will reside with Lieutenant Hurst and his family where he will live the life of leisure as a retired working dog.

"Congratulations to K-9 Major and thank you for you distinguished service!" reads the Facebook post from the Sheriff's Office.

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Photo courtesy Paulding County Sheriff's Office