Columbia Police Department’s K9 Unit Demonstrates Her Drug-Sniffing Skills.
by Duane Bonifer
COLUMBIA, KY. (03/20/2026) Lindsey Wilson University students met one of the harder-working and happy-go-lucky employees of the Columbia Police Department on Thursday, March 19.
Students in counseling professor Mahalia Cain’s “Substance Abuse” and “Abnormal Psychology” classes watched Cally, the Columbia Police Department’s K9 unit, enthusiastically and joyfully demonstrate her acute sense of smell for them in the parking lot behind the university’s Biggers Sports Center.
Cally’s handler, Sgt. Trevor Foster, planted contraband in several places to illustrate the canine’s powerful and impressive olfactory sense. Each time, the blonde 7-year-old Labrador Retriever needed less than 30 seconds to sniff out contraband, no matter where Foster had hidden it — under a vehicle or inside of a box.
“If she hits on it, there’s either something in there or something’s been in there,” said Foster, who has worked with Cally since she joined the police force in 2021.
Cally lives with Foster’s family, where his children — Rhett, 8, Lillie, 5, and River, 4 — have embraced her. He said that Cally has “probably about three more years of service left” before she will retire, mostly likely with Foster’s family.
“And we’ll find something for her to do at the department,” he said.
Will work for an orange tennis ball
Every time Cally located an illegal substance Foster had hidden on Thursday morning, she was rewarded with her prized possession — a fluorescent orange tennis ball. Foster threw it a few times for his co-worker to celebrate and to fetch. But when he gave the command, the canine was serious about getting back to work.
“She’s always ready to roll,” said Foster.
Before Cally joined the Columbia Police Department, Foster trained with the dog for two weeks in Milan, Tennessee, near where she was bred in west Tennessee. Cally was trained to singularly focus on sniffing out illegal drugs, including cocaine, heroin, marajuana and methamphetamine. Public safety runs in Cally’s family — one of her siblings works for law enforcement in Los Angeles County and another detects bombs for the Army.
And in her more than six years with the department, Cally has an impressive track record. Foster reckons that Cally has been involved with more than 1,000 illegal drug cases, and she’s also helped other police departments in the area find illegal drugs.
“Cally has never let us down before,” said Foster.
Cally’s visit was part of Cain’s ongoing effort to connect her students — most of whom are on their way to becoming counseling or health care professionals — with professions they will encounter in their careers.
“I am incredibly grateful to the Columbia Police Department for their continued willingness to engage with students at Lindsey Wilson,” said Cain ’22. “Their presence creates meaningful, hands-on learning experiences, and K9 Cally always brings an extra level of energy and engagement that makes these exercises truly memorable. This partnership is a valuable opportunity for both the department and the university.”
LWU student Jasmine Hayden ’28 of Campbellsville, Kentucky, said watching Foster demonstrate Cally’s work and hearing him explain how she is deployed helped her gain a greater appreciation for how law enforcement officials interact with suspects, some of whom are likely to wind up receiving medical and mental health care.
“I’ve never seen a K9 dog like this before,” said Hayden, who is a nursing and psychology double major. “It’s really cool how a Lab does this.”
Hayden was among the Lindsey Wilson students who showed Cally their appreciation with an extra reward when she took a break — they fawned over her and gave her extra scratches on the back of her neck.
Columbia Police Department Sgt. Trevor Foster discusses the K9 unit, Cally, with Lindsey Wilson University students in counseling professor Mahalia Cain’s “Substance Abuse” class on Thursday, March 19.
Columbia Police Department K9 unit, Cally, searches for illegal drugs as Sgt. Trevor Foster looks on during a demonstration for Lindsey Wilson University students in counseling professor Mahalia Cain’s “Substance Abuse” class on Thursday, March 19.
Columbia Police Department K9 unit, Cally, reaches for her reward — a fluorescent orange tennis ball — thrown by Sgt. Trevor Foster. Foster demonstrated Cally’s work to Lindsey Wilson University students in counseling professor Mahalia Cain’s “Substance Abuse” class on Thursday, March 19.
Columbia Police Department K9 unit, Cally, has a special seat in the SUV driven by Sgt. Trevor Foster. Foster demonstrated Cally’s work for Lindsey Wilson University students in counseling professor Mahalia Cain’s “Substance Abuse” class on Thursday, March 19.
Lindsey Wilson University student Jasmine Hayden ’28 of Campbellsville, Kentucky, pets Columbia Police Department K9 unit, Cally, on Thursday, March 19. Sgt. Trevor Foster (not pictured) demonstrated Cally’s work in for Lindsey Wilson students in counseling professor Mahalia Cain’s “Substance Abuse” class.
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 30 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university’s 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
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(Duane Bonifer – Lindsey Wilson University)