A Dog Named Mattis: 12 Lessons for Living Courageously, Serving Selflessly, and Building Bridges from a Heroic K9 Officer

Take a ride-along with Sergeant Mark Tappan and his amazing K9 partner Mattis, whose heroic actions will inspire you to live courageously, serve selflessly, and love passionately because every human (and dog) has a purpose.

Sergeant Mark Tappan shares a unique bond with his K9 partner Mattis, one of the most decorated police K9s of all time. Mark knew from the first time they interacted that Mattis was something special. As a man of deep faith, Mark also knew that God's most profound teaching often comes through the most unexpected sources, and he soon realized that Mattis was going to teach him about loyalty, selfless service, and so much more.

In A Dog Named Mattis, Mark shares twelve life lessons he's learned from working with Mattis. Through these first-hand accounts of bravery and service, you will learn profound lessons, like:

• Being willing to 'go all in' and work with all your heart, even when things are uncertain
• How persistence pays off when you are willing to stick with what you know is right
• How to be strong and courageous in the face of adversity
• And much more

You will also get a behind-the-scenes look at the world of police K9s and gain a deeper understanding of:

• The many ways that K9 units assist police departments
• What a K9 officer's daily life looks like
• What kind of training police dogs and their handlers must go through
• How a police dog is tested and selected
• The lengths a dog will go to in order to complete their mission

A Dog Named Mattis will capture the hearts of dog lovers everywhere and remind you that true success is built on relationships filled with trust, communication, and love.

Sergeant Mark Tappan shares a special bond with his K9 partner Mattis, one of the most decorated police K9s of all time. He knows that true success is built on relationships—with friends and family, the communities we’re in, and the dogs beside us. He learned his canine-training skills from his father, who trained Labrador retrievers. Mark often talks about how his determination and competitive drive set him up well for his careers as a marine, a youth pastor, and now a sergeant in the Alpharetta Police Department. While Mark has trained many dogs in his tenure as an officer, he believes Mattis is the best.