With assistance from Plainfield police, a girl becomes a K9 cop

Plainfield, Indiana – Elayah Chance, eight years old, is adamant about wanting to be a police officer.

To give the terminally sick girl a day she won’t soon forget, the Plainfield Police Department collaborated with Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana in addition to several other organizations.

Elayah, who wants to work as a K9, spent the day with Plainfield police on Saturday. She rode horses from the IMPD’s mounted patrol, discovered two missing children, apprehended a culprit who eluded police, solved a burglary, and kept the city secure all around. She was sworn in as an officer by a court.

Elayah worked with K9 handler Rob Prichard and his dog Jocko. Elayah has a genetic ailment that requires care around the clock. Many of the events were dog-related since Elayah adores dogs, according to the agency.

“For a kid who doesn’t have a lot of reasons to smile, and has a lot more bad days than good, the goal today is to give her a perfect day,” Prichard said.

According to the officer, helping the young child create a treasured memory was an honor.

“Anytime we get asked by Make-A-Wish to help them, it’s always something we’re really eager to do. We’re very proud that we get to work with them and when somebody tells you they get one wish in life and it’s to be you for a day, that’s a very humbling thing to hear,” he said.

The memorable day was a genuine community endeavor.

“I put it out there and asked, ‘Would anybody like to help with this?’ and got help from so many different people, so many different agencies, you can see we’ve got mounted patrol units, and K9s from every different agency, we’ve got local businesses,” Prichard said. “Our problem today is we had too many people who wanted to help which is such a great thing to have.”

A meeting at the Richard A. Carlucci Recreation and Aquatic Center marked the end of the day. According to Prichard, Elayah and all those involved in its realization will always remember it.