New York - On September 11, 2003 a solid bronze German Shepherd Dog DOGNY sculpture will be donated to the State of Georgia. The statue will be placed outside the Department of Agriculture, and will serve as a permanent tribute to America's search and rescue dogs.

The statue is part of The American Kennel Club's (AKC) public art initiative called "DOGNY: America's Tribute to Search and Rescue Dogs." The DOGNY program was created as a public art project and fundraiser to honor the Canine Search and Rescue dog and handler teams who were called to serve following the September 11 tragedies. DOGNY provides financial resources for professional and volunteer Canine Search and Rescue organizations across America through The AKC CAR Canine Support and Relief Fund. Over 100 life-size German Shepherd Dog sculptures were created as part of the charitable program.

At 10:00 am on September 11, 2003 a press conference will be held on the Atlanta, GA Capitol steps. Governor Sonny Perdue will be in attendance for the unveiling presentation as well as Tommy Irvin, Commissioner of Agriculture. Also attending will be Dennis B. Sprung COO of The American Kennel Club as well as representatives from the 31 participating kennel clubs that joined together to raise the funds to sponsor the $ 25,000 bronze statue.

"We are so thankful to the numerous AKC clubs that have supported DOGNY", said Dennis B. Sprung, AKC Chief Operating Officer. "Without their assistance we could not have raised over 2 million dollars for Search and Rescue organizations. This initiative from these Georgia area kennel clubs will ensure that the project and the teams who served on September 11 are forever remembered in Georgia."