GTPD Honors Life and Legacy of K-9, Pepper
After a bagpipe rendition of “Amazing Grace” faded out across Tech Lawn, the Georgia Tech Police Department (GTPD) delivered the final call of Pepper — K-9 Unit 123.
The 8-year-old German shepherd's watch ended in late October following a career of dedicated service to the Institute. Always standing ready with her tail wagging to begin her shift, Pepper was on duty for historic events at Tech and across Georgia.
As an explosive detection canine, Pepper provided protection for the 2024 presidential debate, the Masters, dignitary visits, World Cup preliminary matches, United Nations meetings, Super Bowl 53, and countless Georgia Tech sporting events.
Hailed as a guardian, partner, and part of the GTPD community, Pepper was also a member of the family for her handler, Sgt. Manuel Blair. The two formed a lifelong bond, which Blair will miss from sunup to sundown.
"From the time she woke up to the time she went to sleep, she was focused on me. I would joke about the song ‘Somebody's Watching Me’ — that was her. She was always focused on me to give the next direction. ‘Are we going to work? Are we going to play?’ She was always focused on me, and that's what I'll miss most," he said.
Blair says his partner was as gentle as she was devoted to her work and had a particular affection for babies and children.
Delivering remarks during Wednesday's memorial service, Robert Turner — a former K-9 handler with GTPD who, along with Blair, selected Pepper — said Pepper's life of selfless acts will cement her legacy as a hero.
"It's the heart behind those acts that forges a hero," Turner said. "There is no purer heart than that of a police K-9. From the moment they enter this world to the moment they close their eyes for the final time, their motives are pure. They want to please their handler; that's it. Every act is an act of trust," Turner said. “The bond between a K-9 and their handler is unmatched. This bond is built with the purest of hearts and is formed with thousands of acts of trust."
Turner recalled the day he and Blair met Pepper, saying their focus wasn't on finding the best-looking dog but finding the one that best exemplified a readiness to serve.
"It just so happened that Pepper was also the most beautiful dog," Turner said.
Interim Capt. Brian Bonus remarked that, while the department said goodbye to a hero, her memory lives on through her contributions to creating a safe environment for all students, staff, faculty, and visitors at Georgia Tech.
