Washington County

'DRUG DOGS' WILL MONITOR CONTRABAND IN PETERS SCHOOLS

Peters School District students may want to think twice about
district regulations governing drugs, alcohol, and even
over-the-counter and prescription medication, after a demonstration
Tuesday proved the nose has it when it comes to contraband-sniffing dogs.

During a town hall meeting at Peters Township High School, owner Gene
Papet of K9 Resources in Kings Mills, near Cincinnati, Ohio, brought
along 8-year-old Blitz, a golden retriever who could detect not just
banned substances like alcohol, but even their residue.

The presentation was supposed to alleviate concern and educate
parents who had questioned the expense and procedures of the canine
program, but it drew only 19 residents, many of whom were children.
By contrast, 14 of the district's administrators were present, ready
to answer questions.

District spokeswoman Cara Zanella said some parents told her they
were on vacation or finishing preparations for the new school year,
which begins Aug. 27.

For those who attended, though, Blitz put on quite a show, even
allowing Mr. Papet to pull her up by her tail and pull on her ears to
show that no matter what, she won't bite.

It was part of Blitz's "bite abatement" therapy when she was trained,
Mr. Papet said, to ensure the dogs are pet-friendly.

"They will not bite under any circumstances," he said.

Rather, each of his seven female dogs (easier to train than males,
Mr. Papet says) are taught to alert their handlers to banned
substances by sitting down.

Mr. Papet, who has operated the company for more than 20 years,
demonstrated by ordering Blitz to search the high school auditorium
after he used a cotton ball to wipe vodka on the outside of an
electrical outlet.

When Blitz came across the outlet, she sat down, intently staring at
Mr. Papet, but without a bite, scratch or whimper.

Seven-year-old Emily Anderson, a second-grade student at Pleasant
Valley Elementary School, helped in the demonstration by leading
Blitz on a leash. When Blitz "alerted" on the alcohol smear, Emily
pulled as hard as she could on the leash, but Blitz wouldn't budge.

Every one of the dogs is different, Mr. Papet said, and some, such as
his Labrador retrievers and springer spaniels, can detect various
items, such as weapons, narcotics, alcohol and bombs.

Blitz is trained to detect just about every illegal drug, including
marijuana, heroin, cocaine and LSD and PCP, along with many other substances.

Dogs can smell hundreds of times better than humans, but have been
known to occasionally misfire.

Dogs sometimes alert on objects like inhalers, and as long as the
item isn't prohibited from school, there will be no action taken, he said.

Prescription and over-the-counter drugs are to be registered with the
school before being brought onto the property by students.

The dogs are trained not to sniff people, only objects and surfaces.

Still, resident Connie Kean said she wondered how students' privacy
rights would be protected, and whether they could be embarrassed by
being called from class, even if the item they were carrying was as
innocuous as an aspirin.

"I just don't want kids embarrassed," she said. "They deserve to have privacy."

High school principal Thomas Hajzus said that's something the schools
are already considering, and said students wouldn't be singled out.

Mr. Papet said he will rotate the dogs when he visits Peters schools
during this school year, which will be at least 20 times, according
to his $14,000 contract.

Some residents have balked at the cost and complained during school
board meetings, but Mr. Papet said he will be implementing an
education program, not just searches.

Although the dogs will be searching parking lots, classrooms and
lockers during random, unannounced visits, part of the contract calls
for assemblies and character-based programs for students.

"It's not us who can make this school safe, it's them," Mr. Papet
said of students.

His company works for corporations, such as Marathon Oil, and for law
enforcement and schools. Mr. Papet declined to say how many schools
he works with because of privacy issues, but said he's worked with
more than 250,000 students.

Mr. Papet said his company has clients in Ohio, Kentucky and
Pennsylvania, and is licensed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency
and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. He was recently
approved for a private investigator's license, a requirement for drug
dog handlers working in Pennsylvania.

There is no nationwide regulatory agency for companies that train and
use drug dogs.

The company also provides a toll-free, 24-hour anonymous tip line and
collector's cards with fun photos of each dog and their particulars.

Mr. Papet said his goal is to educate students and help them recover
from substance abuse and other problems while they still have a chance.

"They can put it behind them in school, but they can't put it behind
them out in the real world," he said.