Karma Is A Female Dog

Jessie, Hercules, and Karma — these three dogs have been roaming the CB campus with one motive in minds, to keep CB safe, one less drug at a time.

For about 10 years, safety dogs have occupied CB’s grounds. From the back parking lot to students’ lockers, these remarkably intelligent Labs are trained to recognize weapons, prescription drugs, illegal drugs, and fireworks.

Working year round, these dogs have a tight schedule to maintain, according to Christian Brothers Co-Dean Students Mr. Dave Levasseur.

“I think there are seven or eight contracted times [that the dogs are used], like UD Ball and homecoming and then various times throughout the year,” Mr. Levasseur says.

Hercules doesn’t intentionally get students in trouble, says Mr. Levasseur. While at the UD Ball, our co-dean says that the furry canine only wants one thing.

“All the dog wants is to get his toy,” Mr. Levasseur says. “He can do anything, but as long as he gets his toy, he’s so happy,”

Dogs like Karma and Hercules have been hand selected by their owners to nose-select substances while Jessie was rescued by her owner to detect drugs.

“They don’t know until the dogs are about 9 or 12 months old if the dogs have the right temperament to do the job,” Co-dean Mrs. Cecilia Powers says.

Having the safety dogs here on campus not only makes students cautious, but brings awareness to the relationship students develop with their teachers, according to Ms. Jennifer Lystrup, a religion teacher at CB.

“I feel like education and talking about things and having students feel comfortable talking to adults about drugs, alcohol, and concern for other students I think that is also helpful,” she says.

Senior Lindsey Doll (’15)  thinks safety dogs on campus do more good than harm here at CB.

“I feel like it is invasive, but it’s also necessary,” she says. “We have to have discipline at our school.”

While opinions about the safety dogs are mixed, their main motive is to ensure the safety of all students, even if some feel it is an invasion of privacy.