Plainfield police welcome K-9 Newt to the force

PLAINFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — A spunky rescue boxer named Newt is moving on to the next chapter of her life as the newest K-9 officer to join the Plainfield Police Department.

Newt may not look like a typical police dog – this is a fact that Plainfield police were quick to call out.

But Newt’s story, police say, is one of “tragedy and triumph.”

In April 2023, Newt, the “big hero in a small package,” was rescued from an abusive owner who was recently convicted of many animal cruelty charges.

Police rescued Newt and another dog, rushing them both to a veterinary intensive care unit. After their stay in the ICU, the pups moved into the Hendricks County Animal Shelter for further recovery.

While Newt resided at the shelter, she happened to catch the eye of a K-9 handler, who saw “certain qualities making her a possible candidate for Plainfield Police Department’s unique canine program.”

The department then took the steps to adopt Newt, and after several weeks of training, Newt and her handler, Ofc. Josh Jellison, graduated on Friday.

Newt will now move to her next role as a therapy and gun detection dog, spending her days with the Plainfield Community School Corporation, where her handler is a school resource officer.

“Newt will have the opportunity to reassure children who have been victimized – a living testament to the ability to overcome adversity,” the department said in a release. “Who better to help the victims of crime than someone that has been (in) one herself?”

Newt and Jellison will be formally recognized in a ceremony at 6 p.m. April 4 at the Plainfield Government Center.

“Newt is a hero in our eyes,” police said. “And we hope (she will be) in yours, too.”