Auburn, Ala. – Auburn Police Department (APD) is excited to announce the release of APD Deck, a set of collectible K9 trading cards, including one card for each of the eight K9s and their handlers in its K9 Unit.

Local partnerships such as with Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Canine Performance Science (CPS), Auburn City Schools, Charter Communications and Global K9 Protection Group have contributed largely to the expansion of APD’s K9 Unit over the years. The K9 Unit is currently made up of eight police dogs specially trained to locate narcotics, explosives, firearms and assist in searches to locate missing items and/or people. Each K9 has a unique personality and life story, some coming from other countries or even retiring from a different career prior to joining the force. The training the K9 and its handler receive is hands-on and never stops.

Each of the eight cards in the APD Deck, like K9 Leon’s pictured, features his photo and name, the year he joined the force, his nickname, specialty training, a fun fact and background information such as breed, favorite toy, his handler and more. The police dogs and their handlers spend the majority of their work out in the community. You may see them working at special events, in the Auburn City School system, training at local businesses or demonstrating their specialties during a public demonstration.

By having the cards available to hand out, K9 handlers will have a chance to create a connection with community members, especially the younger generations. It is a great way to make learning about safety fun, start a conversation and get to know local police officers and their four-legged partners.

Start collecting all eight cards in the APD Deck any time you meet a member of our K9 Unit. Simply say hello and ask for their card! As standard practice for any pet, don’t forget to ask if you’d like to pet a working police dog.

Pictured, Sergeant Sistrunk and his K9 partner Leon