COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Branch County Special Deputy Jackie Harris is wrapping up her sixth year running the Adopt-A-Cop program at Jefferson Elementary School in Coldwater and at Lockwood Homeschool Co-op, where she brings along two Branch County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue Bloodhounds, Xenia and Nyx.
The Adopt-A-Cop program introduces students to a different member of the first responder community by dressing up the dogs for police, fire, ambulance, and dispatch to teach students the different roles of emergency response staff.
“Xenia and Nyx help the kids interact with the different first responders,” Harris said. “The kids all love to hear how Xenia and Nyx help find missing people, too. One of the last visits we do for the school year is to teach children about what to do if they got lost. The students loved when Nyx demonstrated the “hug a tree” method by wrapping her paws around Xenia.”
Xenia, a longtime Branch County Sheriff’s Office K9 Deputy, has participated in the program since its beginning.
Harris is also working with two new bloodhound puppies who will be trained as trailing dogs to help find missing people.
If you’re interested in making a donation for the Branch County Sheriff’s Office K9s, there is a fund at the Branch County Community Foundation for Supporters of the Branch County Sheriff’s Office Fund.
Donors can designate a gift to the K9 Program by visiting www.BrCoFoundation.org.
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