DRUG DOG AN ADDITION TO SCHOOLS

Chuck Will Act As Deterrent For Illegal Acts And Search For Drugs

With his tail wagging and Kong toy in tow, a new face will be
appearing in the halls of Union County high schools this August.
Chuck the Dog, age 2, will be searching for drugs and weapons.

Union County Sheriff's Office Deputy Christy Baucom will be in the
county's high schools full-time this fall with the chocolate brown
Labrador retriever, who is trained to detect heroin, marijuana,
cocaine, meth and gunpowder.

The dog is supposed to act as a deterrent to illegal behavior, officials said.

"We're not there to make arrests," Sheriff Eddie Cathey said, but to
discourage students from bringing drugs and guns on school campuses.
The dog will be taken to all high schools on a regular basis, and
other schools by request, he said. The dog will also sniff for drugs
or guns kept in cars.

The dog's purchase and training cost $3,800, which was paid for by
Freedom Chevrolet. During a presentation to the Union County Board of
Education Tuesday night, Baucom showed how Chuck could find drugs
hidden in a box and indicate his discovery to her. Chuck is a
non-aggressive dog not prone to biting, Baucom said. Baucom said the
dog should be treated like an officer, not a pet, which means no tail
pulling, toy snatching or other provocation.

When the plan to bring drug-sniffing dogs into the schools was
announced last summer, a few school board members raised concerns
about a dog acting aggressively toward students.

Those concerns seemed to melt away Tuesday night. When Chuck found
the hidden drugs, he parked himself at Baucom's feet and got back to
his Kong toy.