One of Gwinnett’s hardest-working police dogs is hanging up his collar. K9 Nitro is stepping back after eight years helping keep the county safe.
🚓 What’s Happening: Nitro, a 9-year-old Belgian Malinois from the Special Operations Division, is retiring on a vet’s advice due to age-related heat sensitivity and mobility issues. He’ll live with his handler, Sgt. Brian E. Doan.
- His record: 353 calls, 64 apprehensions, 35 narcotics finds, 73 evidence finds, nearly 2,000 training hours, three Officer of the Month awards, and recognition from the District Attorney’s Office.
🧠 Between the Lines: Georgia heat is rough on aging working dogs. Departments balance public safety with the health of seasoned K9s to prevent injuries and heat stress.
⏪ Catch Up Quick: Nitro served alongside Gwinnett officers for most of a decade. As K9 Nitro retires at home with Sgt. Doan, K9 Ace prepares to join the unit later this year.
🌐 The Big Picture: Police dogs are force multipliers. They track suspects, find drugs and evidence fast, and can turn hours of searching into minutes. Most retire around age 8 to 10 so they can live out their years in comfort after intense service.
The Sources: Gwinnett County Police Department.
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Before You Dismiss This Article…
We live in a time when information feels overwhelming, but here’s what hasn’t changed: facts exist whether they comfort us or not.
When A&W launched their third-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in the 1980s, it failed spectacularly. Not because it tasted worse, but because customers thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If basic math can trip us up, imagine how easily we can misread complex news.
The press isn’t against you when it reports something you don’t want to hear. Reporters are thermometers, not the fever itself. They’re telling you what verified sources are saying, not taking sides. Good reporting should challenge you — that’s literally the job.
Next time a story makes you angry, pause. Ask yourself: What evidence backs this up? Am I reacting with my brain or my gut? What would actually change my mind? And most importantly, am I assuming bias just because the story doesn’t match what I hoped to hear.
Smart readers choose verified information over their own comfort zone.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
