The Pitkin County Sheriff’s office swore in its newest deputy on Wednesday. Otto is an 11-week-old Golden Retriever who will be stationed at the Aspen School District as a therapy dog starting on Aug. 21.
School Resource Officer Dru Lucchesi, who is employed by the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office and patrols Aspen schools, will be Otto’s handler.
Otto’s job will be to help eliminate barriers between students and Luccheisi, who says connecting with students helps him keep the schools safe.
“Because that's what's going to provide some of the best school safety — the knowledge of what's going on in these kids’ lives,” Lucchesi said. “The more we know, the more we can help.”
Lucchesi started working as a school resource officer this winter, so he’s still trying to find ways to connect with students as a new face in their hallways.
Many schools already bring therapy dogs to campus after traumatic events, recognizing the social emotional benefits of dogs.
The sheriff’s office decided to adopt a Golden Retriever because the breed is generally friendly and approachable, as opposed to German shepherds, which can be perceived as aggressive.
“We didn't want there to be a misconception of what the dog's purpose was, … and he is there for comfort and to bring joy and be welcoming,” Lucchesi said.
After this year, Lucchesi could train Otto to detect weapons, but Sheriff Michael Buglione was clear that the dog will not be trained for drug detection.
Lucchesi said the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, who uses Labrador retrievers as therapy dogs in several of its school districts, trained him in canine cognition.
Most of Otto’s training will be on the job, and Lucchesi is working to socialize him before school begins.
There’s not a lot of research on the benefits and challenges of school resource officers using therapy dogs, but more law enforcement agencies are starting to experiment with placing canines in schools.
In 2019, an observational study found that students were approaching their school resource officer at Arapahoe High School much more frequently when he first brought a therapy dog to campus. However, students who are afraid of dogs or allergic to dogs may not benefit from the new program as much as others.
