VALDOSTA, Georgia — Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Lieutenant Herb Bennett received the Middle District of Georgia’s Hometown Hero award from U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes on July 1, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office press release.

The Department of Justice said the recognition is part of its Freedom 250 initiative, a nationwide effort in which every U.S. Attorney’s Office honors citizens whose service, leadership and dedication have made a significant impact in their communities ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.

Recognized for K-9 leadership and fraud investigations

Keyes said Bennett exemplifies selfless service and integrity as a law-enforcement officer and leader, especially as a skilled K-9 handler and in tackling complex fraud cases.

“It is a privilege to honor Lt. Bennett for his commitment to the people of Lowndes County and his outstanding efforts to fight fraud, a top priority for the Department of Justice,” Keyes said in the release.

Sheriff Ashley Paulk called Bennett an exceptional officer whose work has exceeded expectations both as a national champion K-9 handler and in solving difficult cases.

“His contributions have strengthened our office and enriched our community,” Paulk said, according to the release.

K-9 Thanos and a national detection title

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Bennett currently oversees three critical divisions inside the sheriff’s office: K-9 Handlers, Traffic Deputies and Interstate Criminal Enforcement Deputies. The release said he has served with the office for 20 years.

Bennett and K-9 Thanos were also recognized for recent national K-9 competition results. According to the release, the team placed first among 78 teams in narcotics detection at the 2026 United States Police Canine Association National Detection field trials in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and placed fifth overall among 120 teams across the country.

The DOJ release referred to the event as the “K-9 Olympics,” with drills involving apprehension, explosives detection and arson investigations. The release said the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office is hosting the 2027 USPCA field trials.

Service record behind the award

The release said Bennett began his law-enforcement career in 1993 at the Polk County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office, where he worked in the K-9 unit and rose to the rank of sergeant. After retiring in 2006, he continued service with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.

DOJ also highlighted Bennett’s fraud-investigation work, including a major stolen-check-information case involving eight defendants and a former U.S. Postal Service employee. ThinBlueNews is not adding allegations beyond the DOJ release and linked case record.

For ThinBlueNews readers, the story is a real-photo recognition lane: a named sheriff’s office lieutenant, a named K-9 partner, documented public-service work, and an official award presentation source rather than a generic hero graphic.

Sources reviewed

Editorial note: This article uses the U.S. Attorney’s Office release and official DOJ photos as source material, attributes claims directly, avoids adding unverified operational details, and uses a real K-9/award-event photo rather than AI-generated police imagery.