FOX 56 News

Georgetown police get much needed smiles from loyal companion

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (FOX 56) – The loss of Deputy Caleb Conley continues to take a toll on the community, especially those in law enforcement. A loyal companion has been working hard to bring smiles to the officer’s faces.

Katie the dog loves visiting everyone at the Georgetown Police Department, which is much needed after the loss of Conley. Katie has been rocking new styles thanks to Cynthia Degroote at Groomingdale’s Pet Salon. Katie’s handler is Georgetown police patrol officer Jason Christopher.

“The department’s very appreciative. Cynthia always gets her, and it’s always timed about every six weeks. She’ll get her in and get her trimmed up and looking good. She’ll do special designs different times and add colors sometimes,” Christopher said.

Katie’s grooming is for more than just style. Her new look also honors the memory of the fallen officer.

“With the loss of the deputy last week, she did a special and put his badge number on Katie. She went down and spent a day with the sheriff’s office and their administration and stuff. She’s really good with helping people cope,” Christopher said.

Ever since she came on board, Katie has always been a huge part of the department’s mission.

“There was this case once where a child was having a meltdown, and they’d usually have to call a parent and have them taken out for the day. They asked if they could borrow Katie for a minute, so I took Katie down there and she spent 15 or 20 minutes with the boy and he was able to finish an entire day of school,” Christopher said.

Katie has a huge role, not only supporting the department with work, but also reminding them that there’s a reason to smile.

MORE KENTUCKY NEWS:

“She touches people and it’s she gets joy out of touching people. It makes my heart warm because she’s she opens that door for us to show the community what we want to do for them,” Christopher said.