Two former shelter dogs, K9 Scout and K9 Chet, have joined the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office as certified narcotics detection dogs in Tennessee.

The dogs were officially welcomed during a Friday pinning ceremony, with Deputies John Bevans and Brandon Rivera serving as their handlers. They will work with school resource officers, with dedicated K9 units assigned to Independence and Ravenwood high schools.

After nine months of specialized training, Scout and Chet are now prepared to detect narcotics and support school safety and educational efforts. Officials say the program also gives rescued dogs a new purpose while helping strengthen relationships between students and school resource officers.

The department’s rescue K9 program began about three years ago with Nala, another rescue dog who continues to work with the schools.

wkrn.com