POLICE DOGS ARE BACK IN CITY SCHOOLS

They're back! Fiddler and Lilo, two energetic seven-month-old chocolate
labs, have put in their time for obedience training and now they have made
their way back into Medicine Hat schools.

"The kids have been missing her. They're excited to see her back," Const.
Brian Zens, the school resource officer at Crescent Heights high school,
said of Lilo, who has been making her way through the school socializing
with students.

Fiddler has been meeting students in McCoy high school, Notre Dame and St.
Mary's middle school with Const. Brad Rivard.

The dogs took obedience training through a kennel in Strathmore and were
returned to the police two weeks ago.

"Now it's a matter of continual training," said Zens, adding the dogs need
reinforcement of their training and will have to get used to the hustle and
bustle of school hallways.

Students in the Grade 6 DARE program also met Lilo, which was a great
preparation for when they go on to study at CHHS.

"They'll already have an understanding of who she is and what her purpose
is in the schools."

The dogs will begin drug training in May and June so the educational
component can be brought into classes in September. Once the dogs are
trained, students will be given demonstrations to show how the dogs can
find drugs.

The purpose of the program is to prevent and deter students from using
drugs and bringing them into the schools, while educating them about the
substances.