Sheriff, Superintendent honor drug dog, handler

SANTA ROSA COUNTY. Fla. (WALA) - Santa Rosa County Sheriff Wendall Hall and school Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick met at a local elementary school to honor the district's drug dog and handler.

They look like a duo who have been together for years, fluidly moving through East Milton Elementary School in a simulated drug search.

In only one year, "Idgie" the yellow lab and Deputy Marshall Holbrook have forged a binding friendship as they look to eradicate drugs from the Santa Rosa County School District.

"The 'marriage,' I call it, between the school resource officer and the canine putting it in the schools, it's been tremendous," said Deputy Holbrook. "I've grown. I wasn't a K-9 officer before so I had to do all the training along with her. And I've definitely grown, and I think it has just been great for the schools."

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Superintendent Wyrosdick and Sheriff Hall agree, which is why they met at the school Wednesday to present Idgie's first year statistics.

Last school year, Idgie conducted nearly 4,600 searches. She also followed through on seven alerts that resulted in drugs being found.

Here's the breakdown: 451 vehicle checks, 103 room checks, 2,300 locker checks, and 1,700 bag and personal article checks.

The team also hosts educational programs in the schools, and Sheriff Hall said he thinks they're making a difference.

"That's what we're here for is to support the school system," Hall said. "We all know we have great schools in Santa Rosa County, and we want to keep them that way."

Superintendent Wyrosdick enjoys the team's routine visits into his district's 33 sites.

"When Idgie visits one of our schools randomly, we have no idea when they're going to be there. We just give them open doors, and the key to the school. It makes a difference for days and weeks to come," Wyrosdick said. "Any opportunity we can to stand between our kids and drugs, we want to give that opportunity."

Idgie hasn't only made a difference on the local level. In just their first year together, she and Deputy Holbrook placed 13th overall in the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) National Detector Dog Field Trials, facing competition from across the country.

"I owe it all to her," Holbrook said. "She does the work. I just guide her; she's a great dog."