Dog Walker Watch program kicks off in Bermuda Dunes

Nadine Elliott and her dog Phred are taking their daily walks to the next level and so are their neighbors because they’re now on “Paw Patrol.”

It’s part of the Dog Walker Watch program. The Bermuda Dunes Country Club began its partnership with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Dept. Thursday to train dog walkers to use their eyes, ears and cellphones to report suspicious activity and crime in their neighborhood.

“It’s a unique program because dog watchers and walkers actually cover a little bit more area more ground than Neighborhood Watch. They get intimate with the trails they take or the streets they take. They really know what’s there and what shouldn’t be there,” said Lt. Johnny Rodriguez, of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Dept.

The program’s spread to more than 900 communities across the country and now Bermuda Dunes is one of them. Donna Hubenthal has lived in the Bermuda Dunes Country Club for eight years and started the Paw Patrol to encourage dog lovers to be more alert and less hesitant to report suspicious activity.

“I just thought since people were out walking anyway, they walk during the day and at night, it would be a good idea to become more aware about our surroundings” said Hubenthal. “It puts us out there. We’re looking for (criminals). We aren’t waiting for them to do something in our community”

“I always carry my cell phone so if I do see something I can call immediately. I think it’s really important that people really watch what they’re doing and not just watching the dog when they’re walking,” said Elliott.

As for Phred, he was named lead watch dog.

“Phred’s pretty interesting. He stops and pees every two seconds so we have to train him a little bit better,” said Elliott.