Throughout her teaching career, Wanda Askew always incorporated service dogs in her classrooms.
From Elle the Pit Bull to numerous police dogs, Askew used the animals and their owners or handlers to teach students about community service.
As a way to give thanks to the dogs who have come through her classrooms in Roanoke Rapids, Halifax County and Warren County, she decided to give back and through her retirement dinner raised money to provide City County Drug Task Force Agent Danny Radford’s dog Tony a vest.
Askew taught for 32 and canine officers never hesitated when she asked them to come in her classrooms. “Why not give back?” She said this week.
So instead of gifts for her retirement dinner, she asked for donations for Tony, a Belgian malinois.
Askew taught Radford when he was in the fourth grade.
“I love it,” Radford said. It keeps him protected. He’s my partner. I’m very pleased.”
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Tony has been on the streets with Radford since August after an eight-week training program at Ventosa Kennel in Scotland Neck.
Tony made an impact his first day on the job, sniffing out a trafficking amount of cocaine.
Since he began working the canine has located 83.2 grams of cocaine; 5,130 dosage units of heroin and 104.84 grams of marijuana.
He has also located drug paraphernalia such as smoking pipes, scales and razor blades.
Tony is trained in tracking, narcotics detection, article searches and criminal apprehension.
“I’m very appreciative of this donation,” Sheriff Wes Tripp said. “It helps keep our dogs safe.”
Askew would like to see others in the community find ways to raise funds for a canine vest. “Each dog needs a canine vest,” she said. “This dog will protect him (Radford) better than another man. Each time they get a new dog, they need a new vest.”