John heart uses passion for dogs to serve lawrenceville police department
As far back as John Heart (LCA Class of 2016) can remember, he has been an avid dog lover. He has been around dogs throughout his life and, today, that remains the same. John finds himself around his favorite pets at home, but there’s a special one he takes with him to work every day.
Mahx, originally from the Netherlands, is John’s K9 and his sidekick through his service as a K9 Corporal with the Lawrenceville Police Department.
John and Mahx’s unique bond is evident in how they interact with each other with commands and fun times. Mahx is also a fan favorite with many officers of the Lawrenceville PD.
The duo have been together for the majority of John’s four years at Lawrenceville PD and they have shared many moments together. But there was one moment back in October 2024 where the two experienced a scary situation.
“This is a job where, unfortunately, you see the bad in everybody, but LCA has taught me to also see the good in everyone....”
During a traffic stop, a person fled the scene away from John. As John gave pursuit, he pressed the door pop on his police vest, which allows Mahx to exit the vehicle. This was not foreign to the K9 and Mahx took it from there.
“He knew what his role was. He ran straight past me and started looking for the bad guy. Right before he got to the bad guy, he actually pulled out a gun and turned around. And as he turned around was when my K-9 got him, which forced him to drop the gun,” John said. “It basically knocked the gun out of his hand. If it wasn't for him, I'm not sure what his intentions were that day. But if it wasn't for Mahx, I can't say that I'd be talking to you right now. That was probably the closest call I've had.”
That is part of the reason John labeled Mahx as his “best friend.”
Despite the close encounter, John is right where he aspires to be as a K9 corporal. He does not foresee himself moving on to anything else while in law enforcement.
Serving in the law enforcement is something that he’s dreamt of doing since he was a kid.
“When they tell you as a six-year-old, eight-year-old at school, what do you want to be when you grow up? And everyone chooses a police officer, and that's what I stuck with,” John said. “That's something I've always wanted to do, and I can't really imagine myself doing anything else.”
Between law enforcement and his time as a LCA Lion, John went to Southeastern University and transferred to Georgia Gwinnett College. He then briefly worked for a landscaping company, helping in sales and, next, was the police academy.
John spent two years — junior and senior years — on the Pridelands. Some of his go-to memories are mainly composed of playoff football and baseball games he played in.
“We were already close and just knew that we were basically battling in a war here together,” John said. “That's just a feeling I'll never forget.”
Many people jump out to John in his memory bank as influential, such as Andre King and Mark Davis. But Officer James Vaughn is one who John said he could relate with from the law enforcement.
Even though John grew up in a heavy Christian household, he still recognized the pivotal role LCA played in his life as a student stating, “ Once I transferred to LCA, it definitely transformed me spiritually, just because you're around that all the time and you're getting to share that with other people.”
As he enjoys his career as a K9 handler, John also enjoys his “exit” from the job by way of golfing. His favorite golfers to watch are Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. He is married to his wife (and high school sweetheart), Alexis and they have two children, John Asher and Brooks.
To this day, however, John remains grateful for his experience of being an LCA Lion, especially given the career path he is currently on.
“This is a job where, unfortunately, you see the bad in everybody, but LCA has taught me to also see the good in everyone. Even though I'm seeing the bad in everyone each day, I'm able to see that good in somebody and be able to talk to them and try to convince them to change their life around,” John said. “I can't really share the Gospel with them, but every now and then I will ask someone, do they believe in God? Some may say ‘yes’, some may say ‘no’, but either way, I take their answer.
“I try to transform them into a better person and let them know that they still have second chances. The Lord will forgive them for what they've done.”
