DRUG DOG WILL VISIT SCHOOLS

EDMONTON - Ebony, a drug-sniffing, 11-month-old black lab, has been
approved to make the rounds at Edmonton public schools.

The board signed an agreement with Edmonton Police on Monday approving a
pilot project that allows the use of a "passive drug dog" in Edmonton
public schools. The decision followed consultations with parents.

The project, Dogs for Drug Free Schools, differs from traditional
enforcement tactics in that a friendly dog is used to demonstrate its
drug-finding capabilities to students while its handler lectures about the
dangers of drug use. The goal is to curtail students from bringing drugs to
schools.

A principal can ask to have the dog and handler visit a school for a random
search or to confirm there are drugs on school property, says an Edmonton
Public Schools news release.

If drugs are found, it's at the principal's discretion whether to launch a
police investigation.