Our Canine Cop, Coco

OUR CANINE COP,

COCO

Sniffing out danger and keeping OCPS schools safe are the top tasks of District Police K-9 Coco. The 2-year-old female German shorthaired pointer hails from Budapest, Hungary, and is the district's first K-9 officer.

The German shorthaired pointer's breed originated back in the 19th century as a multipurpose hunting dog, renowned for its searching and detection abilities. These skills were highly desired when OCPS sought to obtain her.

Coco's OCPS crime-fighting career began in September 2020 with District Police Sgt. Doug Pelton, who is her handler and partner. They both received 160 hours of training and began administering random safety screenings at district middle and high schools in November 2020.

"Coco is a visual deterrent," said Pelton. "She is very energetic and always excited and motivated to perform her duties while contributing to the safety and security of everyone on OCPS' middle- and high-school campuses." Coco and Pelton's expertise, thoroughness and teamwork while performing safety screenings are helping to protect our schools, staff and students.

When not on duty, Coco can be found playing with her KONG toys. She also enjoys snacking on Blue Buffalo Blue Bits Tasty chicken training-dog treats and hanging out with her French bulldog pals: Emma; Kingston; Sherman; Stella; and Victoria.

Celebrate Coco, Pelton and our District Police department on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, Jan. 9. Plus, learn more about Coco and her canine-cop role by following her adventures on Instagram: coco_ocps.