Students help deputy keep his K-9 partner

"Ringo" and his human partner, Anderson County Sheriff's Deputy Rick Coley, have been fighting crime together for almost 10 years.

But for Coley, "Ringo" is much more than an assistant.

"When you get these dogs you develop a bond. These dogs go to work with us every day, they ride in the car with us just like you would a human partner. You get very attached," Coley said.

So when he switched from the Clinton Police Department to the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, he wanted to bring "Ringo" with him.

"We've been together a long time. He's part of my family," Coley said.

That meant finding $3,000 to pay for him.

One day while Coley and "Ringo" were patrolling Anderson County High School, a few students came to the rescue.

"These kids over the years have come to know me and him. Some of the kids came and said, 'Hey, want to help'," Coley said.

They came up with a creative idea.

If students could raise $1500, the K-9 unit would do a demonstration, ending with their principal in a bite suit.

"The kids know the officers, the kids know the dogs. The Sheriff's Office and the Clinton City Police Department have been excellent resources for us. We do everything we can on this end to keep that relationship going," said Anderson County High School's Principal Greg Deal.

Now the Sheriff's Office is one K-9 stronger.

"The dog saves us a lot of man errors and money," said Anderson County Sheriff Paul White.

And Coley still gets a little choked up when he thinks of what the students did.

"These kids are keeping me together with my partner," he said.

The Anderson County Sheriff's Office now has 3 officers on it's K-9 unit.