By Sadie Hunter
The Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township announced last month it is the recipient of a second K-9, specializing in weapons and explosives detection.
MSDLT received K-9 Niko from K9s4Cops, a Houston-based nonprofit that grants fully trained K-9s to law enforcement agencies, school districts and colleges. MSDLT is the first school district in the nation to acquire two K-9s.
The district received its first K-9, Axel, from K9s4COPs in 2015. Through a grant written for two dogs by Director of Grants & Programs Pat Gerber, the district received Niko at no cost, along with training for a handler, Lawrence police officer Matt Brandenburg.
Brandenburg spent six weeks in Houston training with Niko before bringing him back to Lawrence Township. Niko graduated “top dog” in his class this fall.
The district said for detection, a more threating or “attack” dog is not necessary. Detection dogs have a more flexible lifestyle and are allowed to live in their handler’s home. For these dogs, the power is in the nose. Dogs’ sense of smell overpowers that of humans, and some scientists say it is 10,000 to 100,000 times as acute.
“This K-9 program is proactive, builds community confidence and provides a higher level of security for schools,” a press release from the district stated. “When not in schools or attending school events, Niko is available to the Lawrence Police Dept., further strengthening the partnership between the district and law enforcement.”
