Ranger, one of the Dunwoody Police Department's first K-9s, is dead after escaping a training facility in Alabama.
The department announced Ranger's death on Thursday, Oct. 15, in a statement posted to the city's website. Ranger had been boarded at an out-of-state facility as part of a planned transition to a new handler and to continue his training. While there, he escaped the property.
Local animal control officers later found Ranger deceased near the facility.
The facility was near Tuscaloosa, 11Alive first reported. The center identifies itself as Alabama Canine on its website and says it has trained dogs for more than 1,500 U.S. police departments since 1985.
Police have not said how Ranger escaped. They have not released a cause of death, according to 11Alive.
"Our thoughts are with the officers and staff who worked alongside and cared for him," the department said in its statement.
Ranger was one of the department's first K-9s and a valued member of the force, the city said. The department's press release did not specify Ranger's breed, age or years of service.
The department directed media inquiries to Sgt. Michael Cheek. Neither a cause of death nor details of the escape have been released as of Friday, Oct. 16.
