The lead school safety officers in the Madera Unified School District are on campus to keep kids safe physically.
Their new partners, equipped with badges of their own, are there to keep kids safe emotionally.
“My biggest hope is that she can bring a smile to a kid’s face when she comes on campus,” MUSD Lead School Safety Officer Tony Dominguez said.
Dominguez is partnered up with Roe, a 2-year-old terrier pug mix.
“What she lacks in size, she makes up for in personality,” Officer Dominguez said.
“She’s confident in herself, in the way she walks. She’s not shy. She will go straight to the kids. She loves to be petted,” Officer Dominguez said.
Roe, Umi and Jericho are all from Valley State Prison in Chowchilla.
They were rescue dogs trained by inmates who graduated with “Canine Good Citizen” certification.
Now, they’re all becoming certified as therapy dogs for Madera Unified.
“I like to describe our dogs as imperfect but perfect, just like our children,” MUSD Director of Safety and Security Lawrence Fernandez said.