(Photo provided by Tonya Tullius) K-9 Dexter was ready to greet the students at Fort Frye Schools on the first day of school in August.

Washington County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Tonya Tullius and her partner K-9 Dexter began their journey long before they started working together professionally.

Dexter, 5, is a certified crisis and therapy dog with a mix of lab and German shepherd in his genes. He began his career upon graduation from training at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Therapy K-9 School last summer.

“Our goal has been to create positive interactions and build trust with the kids at school,” said Tullius. “Kids will stop by my office to see Dexter and hang out with me and talk about anything going on in their lives.”

Upon graduation, Dexter began working alongside Tullius as a resource officer at Fort Frye Local School District. She said their day-to-day tasks include walkthroughs in and outside of the buildings and ensuring students are safe.

“He always has a smile on his face and all of the kids love on him,” she said. “He lives for going to the school and he’s sad on days we aren’t there.”

(Photo provided by Tonya Tullius) K-9 Dexter on graduation day from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Therapy K-9 School in June 2024.

Tullius began her career with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in 2017 and was promoted to deputy in 2019. She was welcomed as the new resource officer at Fort Frye last year.

Even though the duo is stationed at Fort Frye, she said they also will go to Salem and Lowell Elementary schools at times.

When she accepted her position at the district, the sheriff’s office offered her another dog.

“I can’t do another dog, I want to try this with Dexter,” said Tullius.

She adopted Dexter from the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley when he was 6 months old. As a self-proclaimed dog person, she wanted to help out the HSOV because they were experiencing over-crowding at the time. The dog warden at WSCO had sent Tullius images of Dexter in the kennel, and Tullius knew he was hers the second she laid eyes on him.

(Photo provided by Tonya Tullius) Deputy Tonya Tullius and K-9 Dexter next to a snowman at Fort Frye Schools in January.

“I adopted him at that point to help out the humane society and foster him, but he was really rambunctious so we started training him gradually over time,” she said. “So when I accepted this position last spring, the only training left for him were specific qualifications to earn his therapy certification.”

Therapy dogs have been used for a variety of situations whether in schools or in a courtroom during an eye-witness testimony. Their purpose is to provide a sense of calm during a heightened or stressful situation.

She said Dexter has only been used for in-school purposes to relax the students and ensure the safety of the area.

According to Tullius, the response from both Dexter and the students has been wonderful. She brings him to events across the county and he enjoys greeting new people.

“He’s been really amazing,” she said.

(Photo provided by Tonya Tullius) K-9 Dexter posing in front of the Harmar Days Festival sign during the festival which took place from July 25-27.

Dexter takes his duties very seriously-a good boy indeed.

(Photo provided by Tonya Tullius) Part of K-9 Dexter’s duties include attending events and being available as support for the community. Dexter attended the Make-a-Mutt reading program at the Washington County Public Library New Matamoras branch in July.

(Photo provided by Tonya Tullius) K-9 Dexter posing on the rock at Fort Frye Schools for the first day of school in August.

(Photo provided by Tonya Tullius) K-9 Dexter posing on the football field at Fort Frye for rivalry week against Waterford September 2024.

(Photo provided by Tonya Tullius) K-9 Dexter on duty at Fort Frye Schools during the school day last year.