For more than 10 years, Oreo helped keep Atlanta streets safer.
“As a former competition horse, Oreo had an impressive track record, assisting in the apprehension of three carjacking suspects and helping catch a burglar,” the Atlanta Police Department said Thursday.
Oreo died Tuesday at the age of 21. He will be remembered for his “vibrant” personality and remarkable skills, the department said.
“He thought he was the boss,” Lt. Greg Lyon told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Mounted Patrol Unit, currently housed near Grant Park, is often present at major events around the city, including festivals and sporting events. Later this year, the animals and their human partners will move to a new stable when the public safety training center opens.
The horses helps bridge the gap between communities skeptical of law enforcement, according to Lt. Greg Lyon, the unit commander.
“You might not like police officers, but you like horses,” Lyon previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s hard to find people who don’t like both.”
Oreo was donated to the police department from a Georgia resident, Lyon said. Most of the department’s other 11 horses were trained at Asbury University in Kentucky.
The APD is among 20 agencies in the U.S. and Canada that rely on Asbury’s police horse training program in Kentucky. APD horses continue to train after joining the unit and being paired with a human officer.
Oreo was paired with Officer Ryan Dobler.
“He will be deeply missed by his Mounted Patrol family, especially his handler, Officer Dobler,” the police department said. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to the veterinary staff at the Georgia Aquarium for their support.”
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