Mentor Police K-9 Is Visiting Library for Special Story Time

Kids can meet Mentor Police K-9 Bo and his partner, Officer Bill Mackey, during a special story time 7 p.m. Sept. 10 at Mentor Public Library’s Main Branch.

Bo is the one with fur.

Bo is a 3-year-old German shepherd who joined the department in May 2012. He lives with Mackey’s family. He's also pretty adorable.

This program is a great way to introduce kids to their local police department. A police officer – or any new adult, for that matter – can be intimidating to a child. But everyone is a lot more approachable when they have a dog with them.

I'll take it a step farther. When you're a kid, dogs make almost everything better. (That's why we do Paws to Read.)

During the program, kids will listen to librarians’ favorite dog stories and Mackey will tell stories about Bo. Kids can also make a craft or even check out a police cruiser.

Bo often helps the Mentor Police Department by helping to sniff out suspects, drugs or missing people. But he also serves as a de facto ambassador for the department whenever he's out and about.

This special story time is open to children of all ages. It’s free and open to the public.

However, parents are asked to register their children beforehand. They can do so by visiting the Mentor Public Library's website or by calling the library at (440) 255-8811 ext. 221.