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Conyers
Kennel
Club
donates
dog
to
NCSO
COVINGTON - A new member of the Newton County Sheriff's Office will soon be patrolling the cell blocks and parking lot of the Newton County Detention Center in search of illegal narcotics.
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COVINGTON - A new
member of the Newton County
Sheriff's Office will soon be
patrolling the cell blocks and
parking lot of the Newton County
Detention Center in search of
illegal narcotics.
Chobe, a 31⁄2-year-old,
drug-sniffing Belgian Malinois, was
recently donated to the sheriff's
office by the Conyers Kennel Club of
Georgia.
She is the sheriff's office's second
canine officer, joining a 6-year-old
veteran named Kegan.
According to Merry Carol Houchard, a member of the Conyers Kennel Club
Voard of Directors, the nonprofit
organization has donated
bullet/knife proof vests for canine
officers to various law enforcement
agencies in Rockdale, Newton and
Henry counties in the past, but this
is the first time they have donated
a dog.
"We very much appreciate the dog, and it will be put to good use," said
Newton County Sheriff Joe Nichols.
"I also appreciate the fact that
we've got people that help us and
are conscientious enough to work
with us trying to stop some of these
problems."
NCSO Investigator Sgt. Sonny Goodson, who was instrumental in acquiring
Chobe, said that she will primarily
be assigned to the detention center,
but also available to assist patrol
deputies if necessary.
Goodson said Chobe was purchased from the Temple Police Department, which
is near Carrolton in Carroll County.
Though she is already mostly
trained, Goodson said that Chobe,
who they just received last week,
will probably spend another month
with her primary handler, Deputy
Ginger Stabile, before she is ready
to get to work. Chobe will also be
trained to work with a second
handler, so that she can be
available to search for narcotics 24
hours a day, seven days a week.
Having been a dog handler since
1999, Goodson said he believed Chobe
would be a valuable asset to the
sheriff's office.
"Dogs are a valuable tool to any law
enforcement agency," he said. "They
work constantly, and they work
hard."
Goodson said that illegal drugs are
not a big problem at the detention
center, but that by getting the
drug-sniffing dog, they are taking
"proactive" steps to ensure that it
doesn't become one.
"I think she will be a wonderful
asset. I think the sight of (Chobe)
will be a deterrent," said Stabile.
Stabile, who is working with a dog
for the first time, added that a
benefit of having Chobe is that they
can take her in the visitation area
of the detention center, which is
where the majority of drugs come
from.
She also said that Chobe's training
is going well and indicated that she
found three bags of methamphetamine
and two bags of cocaine during an
exercise earlier this week.
While she is currently residing with
her handler, Chobe will later move
to her living space, complete with
customized dog house, behind the
detention center.
The NCSO will host a dinner for the
Kennel Club Monday evening in
appreciation of their donation.
For more information about the
Conyers Kennel Club and its
programs, you can visit their Web
site at www.conyerskennelclub.org.
Joel Griffin
can be reached at joel.griffin@newtoncitizen.com.


