Detection dog at US high school
The board members at Minooka high school, in the USA, were introduced to a detection dog, just 3-years-old, called Goldie, who will soon be a permanent presence at MCHS in spring.
Goldie came along with Glenn VadeBonCouer, her handler, and both are employees from Interquest Detection Canines, a company which provides local school districts with illegal substance-sniffing dogs. Interquest’s dogs can find illegal drugs, gunpowder, alcohol, prescription pills and fireworks in the schools by sniffing out the suspects. The dogs at the company are mainly Golden Retrievers and Labradors and they are selected for their friendliness that enables them to carry out their work in a school setting.
“Over the years, I’ve had a dog sniff out a half-can of beer in a student’s car,” said VadeBonCouer.
Whilst they are on a school campus, both Goldie and her handler will take their time to walk around the school, including the parking lots, along with one of the school administrators. They will pay particular attention to any student vehicles, locker rooms, hallways and lockers as they go.
“We’re not the silver-bullet solution,” said VadeBonCouer, “but we can drive (drugs and alcohol) out of the schools.”
As well as sniffing out illegal substances, VadeBonCouer and Goldie visit the classrooms and give presentations about the importance of saying no if offered any drugs and also the Fourth Amendment search-and-seizure rights.
VadeBonCouer and Goldie will carry out their searches at the MCHS campuses this coming spring semester thanks to John Bates, Grundy State’s Attorney, who funded this operation with the county drug forfeit funds.
