DIXON — Indy, a 3-year-old Blue Heeler combine, is turning into a well-known face at Dixon’s Reagan Middle School.
Donated to the Dixon Police Department by the Paws & Stripes CollegeIndy – and her handler, School Resource Officer Ryan McWethy – are pioneers of the brand new remedy canine program at RMS.
McWethy has 17 years of expertise in regulation enforcement. He turned Reagan Middle School’s college useful resource officer in 2022. On April 15, Indy, an authorized AKC remedy canine, began her first day on the college. Since then, she’s been getting acquainted with all the scholars and employees.
Indy’s job proper now could be to assist when wanted. Indy will present consolation throughout interviews with college students and to those that have been by way of traumatic conditions. Students additionally will have the ability to spend time with Indy in the event that they’re having a troublesome time. A future concept is to arrange some kind of reward program with the scholars, McWethy stated in an interview with Shaw Local.
“Just having a dog around can be really calming to people,” McWethy stated.
The Dixon Police Department was impressed by the Sycamore Police Department’s remedy canine program it had began with Dooley, an authorized AKC remedy canine, in September 2022.
Dooley is assigned to Sycamore Middle School with School Resource Officer Kaitlyn Pedersen. Dooley’s main position is to supply assist to college students, employees and neighborhood members, in response to the Sycamore Police Department’s 2022 annual report.
Sycamore PD linked the Dixon PD with Paws & Stripes College, a program that trains and certifies remedy dogs which are then donated to police and fireplace departments all around the nation.
The program rescues dogs from animal shelters in Brevard County, Florida. The dogs are then paired with jail inmates and educated in basic canine obedience. Some of these dogs, like Indy and Dooley, are chosen to maneuver on to extra superior coaching and function Law Enforcement and Multidiscipline Crimes Against Persons Therapy Dogs.
Indy and McWethy shall be at RMS for the remainder of the college yr. Once the scholars depart for summer season break, Indy shall be out and about attending neighborhood occasions.
