Pubdate: Sun, 17 Jul 2005 Source: Charlotte Observer (NC) Copyright: 2005 The Charlotte Observer Contact: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/78 Author: Emily S. Achenbaum DRUG DOG AN ADDITION TO SCHOOLS Chuck Will Act As Deterrent For Illegal Acts And Search For Drugs With his tail wagging and Kong toy in tow, a new face will be appearing in the halls of Union County high schools this August. Chuck the Dog, age 2, will be searching for drugs and weapons. Union County Sheriff's Office Deputy Christy Baucom will be in the county's high schools full-time this fall with the chocolate brown Labrador retriever, who is trained to detect heroin, marijuana, cocaine, meth and gunpowder. The dog is supposed to act as a deterrent to illegal behavior, officials said. "We're not there to make arrests," Sheriff Eddie Cathey said, but to discourage students from bringing drugs and guns on school campuses. The dog will be taken to all high schools on a regular basis, and other schools by request, he said. The dog will also sniff for drugs or guns kept in cars. The dog's purchase and training cost $3,800, which was paid for by Freedom Chevrolet. During a presentation to the Union County Board of Education Tuesday night, Baucom showed how Chuck could find drugs hidden in a box and indicate his discovery to her. Chuck is a non-aggressive dog not prone to biting, Baucom said. Baucom said the dog should be treated like an officer, not a pet, which means no tail pulling, toy snatching or other provocation. When the plan to bring drug-sniffing dogs into the schools was announced last summer, a few school board members raised concerns about a dog acting aggressively toward students. Those concerns seemed to melt away Tuesday night. When Chuck found the hidden drugs, he parked himself at Baucom's feet and got back to his Kong toy. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth