He leaves as one of the most recognized officers the Alpharetta Police Department has ever had.
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This was the week Alpharetta K9 Officer Mattis stepped away from duty. A job he’s diligently held for several years.
If his name sounds familiar it may be from an incident a few years ago where he was injured while chasing some fugitives.
Channel 2 Action News North Fulton Bureau Chief Mike Petchenik shared Mattis’s story back in October 2016. The German Shepard hurt his liver after scaling a 30-foot wall in pursuit of two men from Florida who had allegedly had stolen some cellphones and sped away before crashing their car.
That’s when Mattis sprang to action. He was hurt as he landed from the top of the wall while catching the first suspect. His partner, Sgt. Mark Tappan watched in amazement as his partner got up and still managed to track down the second suspect despite being injured.
The then 3-year old dog was taken to the veterinarian’s office for emergency surgery on a lacerated liver and internal bleeding but he made a full recovery.
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Tappan and Mattis have appeared the America’s Top Dog TV series and made lots of public appearances on behalf of the department. They have also been very active with their charity work. Alpharetta Police say the two have raised over $200,000 the past few years for area charities.
Mattis and Tappan were given plaques, photos and the royal treatment on Wednesday by the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety. People from all over the community came out to show their thanks.
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To both Mattis and Tappan we say thank you for your great work. Mattis, enjoy your retirement and may it be full of wide open yards, full dishes of food and lots of belly rubs.
