Dog trainer helps fallen officers’ families
Preston will be donated to the family of a fallen police officer through The Thin Blue Line Dog Project.
“After I started my training business I thought that if dogs can help soldiers deal with all the traumatic things they see and experience, maybe they also can help the child of a fallen police officer. So I decided to start The Thin Blue Line Dog Project.
“My goal was to find a rescue dog, like a Labrador Retriever or similar breed, train it and then donate it to the surviving family. I found Preston at an animal shelter north of Houston. They said he was surrendered by his family because he was chewing up socks. He’s a great dog. After about eight months of training with me, he’s ready to go.
“We found a family in a suburb of Detroit. Corporal (Matthew) Edwards was shot and killed while responding to a burglary. The family’s therapist suggested that having a companion dog might help the daughter deal with the loss.
“It’s always good to have a buddy that you can talk to. The cool thing about a dog is that most of the time, he won’t talk back. He’s a good listener. There may be things that the daughter doesn’t want to tell mom, but she’ll tell him.
“I’ll be flying up there soon to deliver Preston to them. I’m one that’s pretty blessed. So I just look at what I can do to give back, to help make somebody’s life a little better. I think Preston can make a big difference for this young girl.”
— Danny McWilliams
When Danny isn’t serving as an officer with Baytown Police Department, he runs EasTex K9 Dog Training. The trip to Michigan with Preston will be Danny’s first commercial flight.
