Every Journey Begins With a Single Step…

In January of 2020, the Tybee Island Police Department partnered with the Humane Society of Greater Savannah over a program called “K9 for a Day”. It was decided that as part of that effort, a shelter animal would join our officers on patrol a couple of times a month in order to exercise, socialize, and increase their chances for adoption. During the course of their day out, officers and dogs would spend much of their time on foot patrol in a heavily trafficked business area near Tybee’s popular South Beach.

In addition to finding homes for animals in need, this arrangement allows for increased law enforcement visibility, and provides for positive interactions between the public and the police. Less than twenty-four hours after the program was first announced on social media, the dog featured in the photo-op had been adopted. It was at that moment that the men and women of the Tybee Island Police Department knew they had an opportunity to make a real difference in both, the lives of shelter animals, and the public that they serve.

Of course they weren’t the only ones to benefit. As our officers got out of their cars and began to walk the streets with those amazing dogs in need, it became apparent that the program was giving our team a morale boost as well. “K9 for a Day” provided a welcome break from the usual stressors of police work and allowed our officers to bond with our community on a whole new level.  A headline from the Savannah Morning News, dated May 31, 2020, said it best:

“K-9 for a Day cheers up pooches, police, public”. 

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world, the “K9 for a Day” program went on. In a time when human interaction was scarce, officers donned masks on several occasions to give an animal a special day away from the shelter, and spread smiles through the magic of social media.              

As word of what we were doing on Tybee began to grow and spread, so too did the amount of community support. Just a few short months into the program “Woof Gang Bakery”, in nearby Savannah, Georgia, reached out to offer their services and propose a partnership. Following that meeting, “Woof Gang” became the first stop for each participant during their big day away from the shelter. There they would be given complimentary grooming, nail trims, treats, and bandanas to ensure they were able to put their “best paws forward” before meeting the public.

Soon afterwards, other businesses jumped at the opportunity to help in any way possible, often offering everything from water and treats to ice cream and cheeseburgers as the dogs walked past their shops.

As “K9 for a Day” continued to grow in popularity, officers saw an opportunity to expand their efforts and help other animals in need. On June 15, 2021, our first feline, a special needs cat named “Wiggles”, joined the program. While “Wiggles”’ mobility issues were heart wrenching, they allowed an officer to push her around town in a baby stroller, helping to shed light on the plight of special needs animals in shelters.

Just over a month later, on July 19, 2021, the “K9 for a Day” program was recognized as a Finalist for the prestigious “Dr. Curtis McClung Motorola Award of Excellence” by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. According to the GACP, that award recognizes innovative programs such as those that have widespread implications on the community, department and law enforcement profession. Other criteria include impacts on professionalism in law enforcement, and the promotion of community and media relations. Upon receiving this award, the department was given a beautiful trophy, and a monetary award to further the mission of the program. Wishing to pay it forward, the Tybee Island Police Department donated a portion of that award money to the Humane Society for Greater Savannah, sponsoring the adoption fees of several cats in the process.

Of course, the “K9 for a Day” program was never about recognition, and the men and women of the Tybee Island Police Department wasted no time resting on their laurels. In fact, their efforts only increased.

On September 22, 2022, local media outlet WTOC ran a story titled “K9 for a Day Program Sees an Increase in Animal Adoptions”. In that story, reporter Mariah Congedo quoted the Humane Society for Greater Savannah’s Adoption Manager as saying, “While out on patrol we usually get the phone calls or the emails and sometimes they do get adopted the same day. Normally it takes no more than a week for the animals to get adopted.” The story went on, “Shulze says as far as the future of the K-9 for a Day program goes they will continue working with Tybee’s Police Department with the hopes that other departments in the area will get involved as well.”

Throughout the course of the program, the Tybee Island Police Department has received interest from organizations as far away as Pennsylvania and California and hopes that more agencies across the country will adopt similar programs as well.

While all of the program’s participants have been special in their own right, there is one in particular who stole our hearts and minds. Rocky, a 1 year old, solid black German Shepherd, was the sixth dog to participate in the program. Within minutes of Rocky’s arrival at the Tybee Island Police Department, our former Chief, Robert Bryson, had become so enamored with his loving heart and playful personality, that he made the decision to adopt him for ourselves. In that moment, K9 Rocky became the first dog ever to work for our agency. Of course, he isn’t your typical police dog. Instead of sniffing out bombs, drugs, or bad guys, Rocky’s whole job is to make people smile!

 

While serving as a Public Relations K9 alongside Captain Randolph, Rocky has visited community events, church services, schools, summer camps, nursing homes, and even a RV Rally! When he’s not making appearances at special events, he can often be found meeting and greeting the public while on foot patrol across the island. As a result, the former shelter dog has become quite the celebrity and has a Facebook following of over 7,000 people scattered across the world. As a testament to his popularity, Rocky took 1st place in South Magazine’s “The South’s Greatest Pet 2022” contest. The following year, he was voted “Best Law Enforcement Officer” and “Best Islands Personality” during Connect Magazine’s prestigious “Best of Savannah” awards.   

         

 

As a true “shelter to sofas” story, Rocky believes in paying his good fortune forward. Since his adoption, the department has celebrated his birthdays and/or Christmas by hosting donation drives for various charities. To date, his “Really Rockin’ Donation Drives” have raised hundreds of items for non-profits such as the Oatland Island Wildlife Center, One Love Animal Rescue, Safe shelter Center for Domestic Violence Services, and Toys for Tots. For example, during his 2024 birthday drive, Rocky was able to raise 150 brand new stuffed animals for “Hugaroo, Inc”, an organization which provides stuffed toys to children in the hospital.

In 2024, after following the “K9 for a Day” program and K9 Rocky for some time, representatives from the Silver Comet Animal Welfare Alliance nominated the Tybee Island Police Department for an award through the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI). After being notified that we had won, Captain Emory Randolph traveled to Las Vegas to accept the award at the world-renowned “SuperZoo” convention. While there, we were honored to stand alongside other Human Animal Bond Innovation Award recipients to include, CancerCare, Meals on Wheels, and Sesame Workshop, the creative minds behind “Sesame Street”.

While speaking about the award, HABRI president Steve Feldman said, “HABRI is honored to recognize the Tybee Island Police Department’s K9 For a Day program as the Pet-Inclusive Infrastructure Award recipient of this year’s Human Animal Bond Innovation Awards. The program celebrates a community partnership while serving as an example for other law enforcement agencies and animal welfare organizations in need of creative ideas to help shelter animals find homes.”

In April of 2025, our friends at PetSmart Charities invited us BACK to Las Vegas! Captain Emory Randolph was honored to appear at the Humane World for Animals Animal Care Expo as a featured meet-and-greet! Throughout the course of the conference, the captain discussed our program with animal welfare professionals from across the world, including individuals from South Africa and Indonesia! It is our hope that the information and ideas that we shared will help strengthen communities and benefit shelter animals across the globe.

Since its inception, the Tybee Island Police Department’s “K9 for A Day” program has helped over SEVENTY animals in need! Among those are numerous dogs, cats, and even a bunny!

It’s been a wild ride so far, but we’re not planning on stopping any time soon! Follow the Tybee Island Police Department on Facebook to keep up with all the latest adventures as our team continues in their mission to help shelter animals find loving homes!

Would you like to know more?

Whether you’re a member of the media, interested in starting your own program, or just have a question, please feel free to contact us.