Amid barks and yelps, Georgia awards badges to 12 new police dogs

Police K-9s line up with their handlers before a graduation ceremony, Thursday, July, 13, 2023, at the governor's mansion in Atlanta. The Georgia Department of Public Safety welcomed 12 new dogs. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Rex, an eager and energetic German shepherd, was languishing in a Georgia animal shelter last year when a friend spotted the dog and called Marty Kemp, the wife of Gov. Brian Kemp and an avid animal lover.

Thursday, Marty Kemp was on hand at the governor’s mansion as three-year-old Rex and 11 other dogs got their badges as they joined the Georgia State Patrol and Georgia Capitol Police as K-9 officers.

“It is tail-wagging happiness in my heart, for sure,” said Marty Kemp, who made sure each dog got a box of treats after the ceremony.