‘Deputy Dale’ joins Ill. sheriff’s office as therapy dog

By Marie Adamick
Effingham Daily News, Ill.

EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ill. — Deputy Dale joined the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office in December 2023 as its first therapy dog.

He is a 4-year-old advanced K-9 Good Citizen poodle mix from Brevard County, Florida. Now-retired School Resource Officer Alex Ritz learned of a program there that takes dogs that are willing to work from their animal shelter, and county inmates help train them. Each dog has to pass certain tests and meet certain standards for approachability, demeanor and obedience. After the dog is fully trained, a handler from a police department will travel to train with the dog for a week. The training and adoption fee are free.

When Ritz approached Sheriff Paul Kuhns with the idea of getting a therapy dog, Kuhns was hesitant for a few reasons, including cost and the purpose of having one.

Around that same time, there was an active sexual assault case involving children, and the children had to testify. A few people brought up the idea of bringing a therapy dog into the courthouse’s waiting room because children are more willing to talk to a dog in situations like that. But Kuhns still hesitated.

Then-Detective Tom Webb, who now serves as deputy chief, advised Kuhns to reconsider therapy dogs because they can be very helpful, he said. Kuhns then allowed Donna Rouleau to bring her therapy dog into the courthouse to help aid in the case.

“What a difference they say it made. Those parents still talk about that,” said Kuhns. “They were so thankful to have him there, and that’s when I first saw that maybe there is something to this.”

Soon after that, Deputy Dale joined the sheriff’s office.

“It’s a barrier breaker because when people see Dale, they’re not scared so much anymore,” said Kuhns. “Maybe they don’t talk to the police officers so much, but they want to talk to Dale, and they want to pet him and they want to look at him and rub his ears.”

Everybody at the sheriff’s office loves to see Deputy Dale, said Kuhns. The dog remembers who gives him treats, so those are his favorite people. Sometimes when Deputy Dale is in the office at the same time as Sheriff Kuhns , he will stare through Kuhns’ office door window until either he or someone else in the office gives him treats or attention. The only time Deputy Dale wants to be around Kuhns is when he has treats. And he knows exactly where in his office they are.

“I think that it softens or changes the image that we put forth as an organization. I think Dale helps us soften that a little bit,” said Kuhns. “We do more than the police work that you would think … and I think Dale helps promote that image.”

Some people may argue that the sheriff’s office is wasting time and money on a therapy dog, but he doesn’t use any tax dollars. The benefits he provides are well worth it, says Kuhns.

“I made the joke before that, thank goodness, when I had to run for sheriff that he couldn’t run,” said Kuhns. “Because I bet he would’ve beat me. I worry about that. That’s how popular Dale is.”

When Officer Ritz left the sheriff’s office, School Resource Officer Chris Greuel became Deputy Dale’s handler in June 2025 – about two months before the 2025-2026 school year began. He was excited to be a school resource officer, and Dale was just an added bonus. Officer Greuel’s kids and wife had always wanted an indoor pet, so he was glad to be Deputy Dale’s new handler.

The duo visits both Teutopolis Unit 50 schools and Dieterich Unit 30 schools daily to brighten people’s day. Whenever possible, they also aid in emergency events, such as car accidents, to help calm people.

In 2025, Greuel and Deputy Dale were on duty when a rolllover car accident happened in Dieterich involving a mother and a young child.

“It was actually more interesting to see the mother react with him. She was in a little bit more of a crisis mode than the kid was,” said Greuel. “She just sat there and petted Dale for five or 10 minutes, and cooled off a little bit. So it was really cool to see him work in a high-stress environment, as opposed to a school full of kid chaos. So he has a way with people. He’s very good at it.”

As a school resource officer, Greuel is the sheriff’s liaison with the schools, helping with crime prevention and teaching safety classes.

“They’re looking out for the welfare and the benefit of everyone there, but especially the kids,” said Kuhns. “They also serve as a deterrent, and they’re well trained to deal with any violence that would happen at the schools.”

When the weather permits them, Officer Greuel and Deputy Dale stand outside of the schools during drop-off to help make the transition a little smoother for younger kids, whether they’re having a rough morning or they don’t want to leave their parents.

“I get a lot of good reactions early in the morning,” said Greuel.

Throughout the school day, the pair roam the halls to look for schoolchildren who might need a little cheering up. It’s Deputy Dale’s official duty to brighten people’s days, and he sometimes gets the occasional treat for it.

“The way he’s trained, he doesn’t negatively react to anybody. He’s pretty good at handling all sorts of inputs from people, all sorts of stress levels and how they approach him. He handles them all very well,” said Greuel. “He gets clobbered pretty much as soon as he gets to the school, so we try to keep kids from crowding him too much. But he does so well with it. I’m impressed by how well he does with it, to be honest.”

They also visit the kids during recess and between classes in the halls.

Having Deputy Dale really helps Greuel with his job as a school resource officer because it’s easier to gain kids’ trust and do an effective job with a dog. Deputy Dale really helps bridge the gap between kids and officers.

When Deputy Dale gets tired throughout the work day, he’ll get moody with Greuel, who says it’s similar to dragging a brick around.

“God bless, Alex. It was all his idea, and he put all the work into it. I don’t think the county realizes how blessed they were for him doing all that,” said Greuel. “That [Florida] county and their sheriff’s department for putting that together, that’s really impressive to me.”

During school visits to Teutopolis Unit 50 and Dieterich Unit 30, Greuel and Deputy Dale try to see everyone, but that’s not always possible.

“The kids love him,” said Teutopolis Grade School Secretary Amber Probst . “When they come in here and he’s in the office, then absolutely, we’re excited to see him!”

Seeing Deputy Dale is the highlight of Probst’s day, and she always gives him treats when she sees him.

“And if I’m not here, I make sure whoever is here gives him his treats,” said Probst.

Teutopolis Grade School Principal Sherry Hoehn reflected on when the duo welcomes students during drop off: It helps with the transition, especially the younger students.

“He’s a good addition to the team. Especially at the beginning of the year when we’ve got our littles that are a little nervous about coming to school and leaving mom and dad, Chris and Deputy Dale stand out front and greet the students as they come in,” said Hoehn. “I feel like kids that maybe are a little shy sometimes, they’ll make conversation either with Chris or Dale just because Dale is there.”

Dieterich Grade School Counselor Lauren Fowler says she loves having Deputy Dale around because he’s been really helpful when upset students come into her office, especially with younger students.

“Just having him walk them to class has been helpful,” said Fowler. “Kids who I know have trauma or other problems, I can see them relax around him and feel more at home while at school.”

There haven’t been any problems between Deputy Dale and students because the kids love him, says Fowler.

“I see them [the kids] smile more. I see them interact with Deputy Greuel, and I think that would be hard, otherwise, to do,” said Fowler. “The kids who have trauma or I know they’re having a bad day, and they see him in the hall, they get down and they pet him and they smile and it makes them happy for a little bit.

“I like the fact that he’s a therapy dog,” Fowler added. “It kind of takes away from the stigma with mental health. I feel like it puts the face of mental health out there a little bit, too.”

Deputy Dale knows his way to the cafeteria in both schools because that’s another spot where he gets daily treats.

“He brightens our day,” said Dieterich Unit 30 Director of Nutrition Misty Lindeman . “The kids love Dale . They love to pet him, play with him … It makes a difference for the kids.”

After Deputy Dale and Greuel are home for the day, Greuel takes off the bandanna Dale wears, and when he does, Dale acts completely different. He gets the zoomies and plays with Greuel’s kids because he knows he’s done for the day.

“It’s been good for our office. I think it’s good for the public. It’s good for the kids. It’s been positive,” said Kuhns. “It’s all been positive when it comes to Dale and what he does.”

Editor’s Note: This story appeared in the Spring 2026 edition of Effingham Magazine , published by the Effingham Daily News on March 31.

© 2026 the Effingham Daily News (Effingham, Ill.). Visit www.effinghamdailynews.com.
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