The Carson City Sheriff’s Office has a new team member: K9 Camper. He’s a police dog assigned strictly to the Carson City School District, and he’s learning how to interact with children. “We want every child to know a police officer by their first name,” Sheriff Ken Furlong told an audience of Camp Carson kids. “(So we said) how about a dog for the schools?” With a flourish, Furlong introduced Camper and his handler, Deputy Derrick Kepler. Kepler brought along his daughter to show the Camp Carson kids how friendly and gentle Camper is.
When Furlong asked his audience where they thought Camper was from, kids shouted, “the pound,” “his mom,” and “Africa.” The correct answer is Hungary – through a sponsorship from the Toyota dealership, the sheriff’s office was able to purchase Camper and bring him to Carson City. He weighs 56 pounds, small for a police dog; he’s under a year old; and he’s still getting used to the idea of being around large groups of children.
The Camp Carson kids were eager to pet and play with him, but he needed a break from the crowd after a few minutes. Come September, Camper will rotate between schools in the Carson City School District.
“He’s trained so that you can sit down with (him) if you’re having a bad day,” Furlong told the kids.
