Pubdate: Sat, 09 May 2009
Source: Green Bay Press-Gazette (WI)
Copyright: 2009 Green Bay Press-Gazette
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/NWYAfkkj
Website: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/879
Author: Malavika Jagannathan
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?237 (Drug Dogs)

PULASKI STUDENTS RAISED MONEY TO PURCHASE DRUG DOG

PULASKI -- A crowd of students at Pulaski Middle School  this week 
greeted and petted Raider, an 18-month-old  black European Labrador retriever.

Raider was introduced to the students on Wednesday at a  special 
assembly. In a way Raider belongs to them --  the middle school 
helped raise $2,700 so the local  police department could purchase 
him as a drug dog.

The schools and the community collected more than  $9,000, a 
testament to the collaborative spirit of the  community, said Pulaski 
Police Chief Randal Dunford.

The police department had often talked about getting a  drug dog, but 
limited funds in the small department had  prevented that from happening.

"It's always been a dream for the police department,"  Dunford said. 
"It's difficult for a smaller force to  get a drug dog."

In January, about 125 parents, students and community  members 
participated in the "Positive Pulaski" forum  that focused on drug 
and alcohol use among teens and  pre-teens.

At the forum, Superintendent Mel Lightner brought up  the idea of 
having a community drug dog that would work  with the schools as both 
a proactive and preventive  anti-drug tool as seen in other 
communities. He said  they raised $3,000 that night.

"That's the example of this community coming together,"  Lightner 
said. In addition to the money to help buy the  dog, a local vet will 
provide care for the dog's  physical needs, and others have promised 
to cover food.

"He will be effective in keeping drugs out, but he  definitely has a 
greater purpose as a symbol," Lightner  said. Named for the school's 
mascot, Raider will be at  community events and be a mainstay at school events.

Raider lives with handler Jim Tinlin, who has an office  at the high 
school, but he will be at the middle school  often because Tinlin is 
the school liaison officer for  the district.

"He is first and foremost a good drug finder," Tinlin  said. "But 
he'll remind the kids that the community  cares about them."

That's in part why the department chose to get a  Labrador retriever 
over other breeds typically used as  police or drug dogs -- because 
it's a popular breed  that people are used to as a family dog.
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