New Member of Police Department: Kitty Sworn In and Ready for Duty
Move over, German Shepards — there’s a new furry sheriff in town and her name is Pawfficer Donut.
On May 11, a suburban Detroit police department swore in their first-ever feline unit, aptly named Donut in a community-wide vote.
Before receiving her official police department badge, Judges Kirsten Nielsen Hartig and Maureen McGinnis asked Donut to raise her right paw to be official sworn in.
Pawfficer Donut’s main duties will include raising awareness about pet adoption in the area, social media and community outreach, therapeutic visits, and public appearances.
The Troy Police Department first came up with the idea in March 2018. They pledged to bring on a new kitten if they could get 10,000 followers by April.
“We are using social media to engage the public that we serve and to get the message out that police are human, too, and we want to show we have a side of us that is beyond law enforcement,” Chief Gary Mayer explained.
The challenge was met weeks before the deadline, with their Twitter account going from 4,000 followers to over 10,000 in just eight days.
As promised, a new kitty officially made her way onto the team in May.
The Troy PD couldn’t be happier with the outcome, since Pawfficer Donut has already helped them show the world the softer side of law enforcement.
“This campaign has helped us connect with thousands of people, not only here in Troy and the Metro Detroit area, but we’ve had people from around the world contact us to do news articles on us,” said Chief Mayer.
Pawfficer Donut is the second cat the officers chose, as, the original cat, Pawfficer Badges, was unable to join the department due to a serious illness.
With the help of the Michigan Humane Society, Badges will be placed into a suitable, stress-free home instead. She is currently up for adoption at the Humane Society in Westland.
Donut will be moving in with one of her fellow officers who already has two adult cats at home. She will also be seen occasionally on the job at the police station.
We wish Pawfficer Donut all the best in her new career purrrrtecting and serving with the Troy Police!
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