The Westerville Police Department swore in their newest member and she is already a leader of the pack.
Chloe is the newest member of the department's K-9 unit. But she won't be sniffing out drugs or chasing down suspects.
The 14-month-old Labrador Retriever is their first therapy K-9.
“She is so calm and loving. She loves all the attention,” Westerville Police Officer Mark Wojciechowski said. “Everyone I have interacted with, it just brings their guard down and it makes people happy. We know she is going to bring nothing but good feelings and joy to a lot of people."
Wojciechowski said she will be used for community outreach and will provide comfort to victims of trauma.
“Not just community members, but city employees like police and fire,” Wojciechowski said.
Wojciechowski is the DARE officer for Westerville schools and says Chloe will be integrated into the program working with kids.
“Once the school is back up allowing us in, Chloe will attend school with me. I teach the DARE program to about 700-800 fifth graders each year. She will be a weekly participant in the DARE lesson,” he said.
Wojciechowski says there's just one downside: ”I'm having to invest in lint rollers.”
Chloe is not fully trained yet. She will have to go through extensive therapy training, likely with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.