PORTERDALE, Ga. - There were plenty of tears and hugs and some barking March 2 at the Porterdale Memorial Gymnasium as We Ride to Provide held its 11th annual K9 Officer Memorial Ceremony.

On what was a bright, clear Saturday morning the organization that provides first aid kits for K9 officers honored 61 of those officers who have answered their final call. Forty of the fallen K9s were from Georgia.

After the name of each fallen K9 was solemnly read, the K9 Down flag was folded and carried to a memorial set up at the back of the gym. A rifle volley and the playing of taps concluded the moving ceremony.

We Ride to Provide also honored four K9 officers who had survived life threatening line of duty injuries during the last year, including DeKalb County Police K9 Indi who was shot in the head in December as he chased a suspect who had shot and killed a DeKalb officer. 

For more information about We Ride to Provide, visit the organization’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WeRideToProvide