Sofia Rositani – Editor-in-Chief
Officer Brody officially has competition. Jules is the new service dog the campus police has gotten through the organization “Pups behind bars.”
Sargeant Cynthia Torres is the handler for Jules, a black Labrador, who had to go through training to learn how to work with Jules.
“The training was rigorous and comprehensive, and it was long and great, all at the same time. It was very intense, I am glad I went into it with a very open mind and a lot of humility knowing that I needed to learn about how to give the commands and how to handle it,” Torres said.
A typical day with Jules starts at 7:30 am, at that time, Torres exercises with Jules and then has breakfast with him. They would then go to class from 10 am to about 3:00 pm. Torres would learn the commands from the incarcerated individual who trained Jules.
“Brody is an Explosives in ordinance detection canine. So that is his primary function, Jules is a service animal. So, he was bred and trained, and very empathetic, so when there’s a lot of emotions, like happening in a room, he’s going to that person. He senses that and he’ll sit with that person. And we also have some commands that will help that. It bridges that communication. Brody is specifically about detecting explosives or anything flammable,” Torres said.
Jules had already started his job; he and Torres got a call to help calm a person down and make them feel comfortable.
“Brody has done double and triple duty, connecting with the community, helping us, our community policing program and so Jules coming on board specifically purposed for that is going to really complement what Brody’s already done,” Chief Dooley said. “So, they’re both going to be in the community and help us get the message out and hopefully both dogs will put a smile on people’s faces.”
Jules and Brody have gotten their own Instagram. They were created as a fun competition between the dogs and campus police, according to Officer Torres. The Instagram handles are @k9jules_scsupd and @k9brody_scsupd.
Bi-lingual Elementary Education Samantha Maces, a freshman, said, “I’ve seen it (the dog) on the Instagram. I think that the therapy dog service is a good thing because a lot of students especially those coming back for their second semester are overwhelmed with new classes, new schedules. So, it’s a good way for students to relieve their stress.”
Tyler Fisher contributed to this article.
