The USD 306 and 307 schools now have investigative therapy dogs, thanks to the Saline County Sheriff's Office. 

In December, two Saline County Sheriff’s deputies traveled to the Brevard County Florida Sheriff’s Office Paws and Stripes College to attend a week of training in the handling of a Law Enforcement Investigative Therapy Dog. They trained with their new K-9 partners who had just completed 14 weeks of training to become nationally registered therapy dog teams.

The unique program offered by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office uses rescued dogs that are trained by inmates under the supervision of professional trainers to provide trained therapy dogs at no cost.

The dog teams can provide assistance in a number of ways, for example: calming people in crisis, interviews with children and adults, critical incident debriefings, and other public events. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674061866887.jpeg" alt="Deputy Braden Long and his K-9, Piper, are assigned to USD 306 working at Southeast of Saline. Piper is a Basenji/Border Collie mix. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Deputy Braden Long and his K-9, Piper, are assigned to USD 306 working at Southeast of Saline. Piper is a Basenji/Border Collie mix. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>Saline County Sheriff's OfficeThe USD 306 and 307 schools now have investigative therapy dogs, thanks to the Saline County Sheriff's Office. In December, two Saline County Sheriff’s deputies traveled to the Brevard County Florida Sheriff’s Office Paws and Stripes College to attend a week of training in the handling of a Law Enforcement Investigative Therapy Dog. They trained with their new K-9 partners who had just completed 14 weeks of training to become nationally registered therapy dog teams.The unique program offered by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office uses rescued dogs that are trained by inmates under the supervision of professional trainers to provide trained therapy dogs at no cost.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674062048896.jpeg" alt="Deputy Tyler Casteel and his K-9, Jax, are assigned to USD 307 working at the Ell-Saline schools. Jax is a Alaskan Malamute mix." />
 <figcaption>Deputy Tyler Casteel and his K-9, Jax, are assigned to USD 307 working at the Ell-Saline schools. Jax is a Alaskan Malamute mix.</figcaption>
 </figure>The dog teams can provide assistance in a number of ways, for example: calming people in crisis, interviews with children and adults, critical incident debriefings, and other public events.

Saline Co. Sheriff’s school resource officers get new K-9 partners