REEF’S REPORT: CATCHING UP WITH CORAL THE K9

K9 Coral: Monroe County Sheriff’s K9 Coral. MCSO/Contributed

Hi friends! Reef the fox here for another weekly edition of “Reef’s Report,” and boy do I have a special treat. As many may know, I have friends in high places, and I reached out to my good friend K9 Coral from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to see if she would be interested in sitting down for an exclusive interview with yours truly. No other journalist, fox or human, has ever been able to get an interview with her but I did it! Why? Because I’m Reef, of course.

R: Hi Coral! It’s been a long time. Last time we saw each other I was just a young fox and we all had our photos taken with Sheriff Ramsay. Such a cool day. I know I smelled kind of funny, I’m not partial to baths. I have some questions for you. First off, I am dying to know, where were you born because you sort of have an exotic flare about you!

C: Hi Reef, yes, you do smell funny… I was born in Columbia and…

R: Oh my goodness. I knew it. I just knew you weren’t from around here. Your fur is so luxurious and you are so mysterious, yet charming and funny. So when did you start working with MCSO? And did you always know you wanted to be a police K9?

C: I started training and working with the Sheriff’s Office in September 2020 and yes, I always wanted to be a police K9.

R: So what is your favorite part of the job?

C: Going to work with my dad and playing with my Kong toy!

R: What is your favorite treat?

C: Dingos!

R: Dingos? What the heck are dingos? I’ve never had a Dingo! Mom, K9 Coral gets Dingos. I want Dingos. If she is eating them and gets to be a cop, then maybe if I eat them I can be the first fox cop in the history of the MCSO.

C: Um, Reef…

R: Sorry, sorry, back to the interview. What is your favorite toy?

C: My KONG!

R: Oh yes, the KONG. They are tough toys and I often have trouble destroying them. I prefer softer and more vulnerable toys that I can easily tear apart. So how many hours of beauty sleep do you get a night?

C: If I’m not working, I get eight hours, I sleep a lot.

R: Girl, me too. I sleep from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day and then get to disrupting when the sun goes down. I am a nocturnal beast. Now for the serious stuff. Have you ever met anyone famous and what is the coolest thing you’ve ever sniffed with your snoot?

C: I’ve met a lot of Federal agents and other members of law enforcement and I am a pro at sniffing out and shredding coconuts.

R: Coral, Coral, Coral…I am disappointed that you don’t consider meeting me as meeting someone famous.

C: Oh…well I thought you meant humans.

R: I’ll let it slide since you do have the badge in this friendship. Last question and then I’ll let you get back to work. Do you have any advice for other canines looking to get into law enforcement?

C: Stay out of trouble and get ready for all the petting that comes with being a good doggo.

R: Welp, then that counts me out. I can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Thanks so much for talking to me Coral. You are one cool K9 and you have such an important job! 

Special thank you to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office for their contribution to this interview.

Now for a cool event that’s happening soon: The Good Health Clinic is hosting its 9th annual Luau For Health on Oct. 2 at Dolphins Plus Bayside in Key Largo. The Good Health Clinic is the collaborative entity that works with over 100 medical provider volunteers throughout South Florida. Patients receive top-notch primary care within our clinic and benefit from care coordination and access to countless medically necessary services donated by their generous partners. To find out more and get tickets go to goodhealthclinic.org. I wonder if I can go and meet a dolphin?
Anywho, that’s all for this week’s report! I hope you enjoyed it. Remember, you can find me and all of my fox family at pawsitivebeginnings.org and you can email me directly at reef@pawsitivebeginnings.org if you have any fox-related questions.

Reef the Fox
Reef was born on a fur farm on or around March 28, 2021. He was able to be rescued when his mother and siblings started to reject him. Reef is missing toes on his front, right paw and the tip of his tail is missing due to injuries sustained in his short time on the fur farm. Reef arrived at Key Largo on May 6, 2021 by Nicole Navarro, of Pawsitive Beginnings Inc.