Facility Dog Nigel and Carey High School students plow to the top

The Carey High School students stand proudly beside their plow, featuring Facility Dog Nigel, who works with School Resource Officer Deputy Ryan McKinnon, and the safety message, “Paws and Follow the Laws.” The plow had the most likes, shares and comments on the ODOT District 1 Facebook page and earned the Paint-the-Plow People’s Choice award. 

Students and a teacher pose in front of a decorated vehicle displaying the logo 'Carey High School Art' and the phrase 'Paws and Follow the Laws', with a dog illustration and a map-like design. The setting is an outdoor area with a clear blue sky.The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 1 recently announced the champions of its annual Paint-the-Plow program: Wyandot County’s Carey High School.

Carey High School’s plow featuring Canine Companions Facility Dog Nigel and the safety message “Paws and Follow the Laws” was the pick of the litter. It earned the most votes on Facebook, with 888 total likes, shares and comments, taking home the People’s Choice Award.

Facility Dog Nigel works with School Resource Officer Deputy Ryan McKinnon and the Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office. Provided at no cost by national nonprofit Canine Companions, Nigel has made an immediate impact on the school community since his arrival at Carey High School in May 2024.

“This year’s Paint-the-Plow designs are outstanding, with creative safety messages and bright designs that will shine through the winter gloom,” says Chris Hughes, ODOT District 1 deputy director.

Since 2014, ODOT District 1 has hosted an annual Paint-the-Plow contest, with a brief hiatus in 2020 and 2021 when a virtual contest was held instead. Schools unleash their creativity on real snow plows in this program which fosters community engagement, school spirit and color on the winter landscape. This year, 23 schools participated from all eight counties in ODOT District 1.

ODOT employees from Wyandot County also selected the Carey High School plow featuring Facility Dog Nigel as their favorite entry.

For more information about Canine Companions, visit www.canine.org.

A group of eight people, including seven women and one man, stand in a workshop in front of a large black snow plow blade, with a yellow lab wearing a service vest sitting on the floor in front. The background features various vehicles and equipment, and the people are dressed in casual clothing with aprons.
A person is painting a mural of a dog on a wall, closely referencing a printed photo of the dog taped nearby. The artist, wearing a pink sweater and light-colored pants, is sitting on the ground with a paintbrush in hand, focused on detailing the dog's face. Other individuals can be seen working in the background.

Art students in Mrs. Sarah Rohrer’s class are pictured with the snow plow blade they would paint for the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Paint-the-Plow contest. Their inspiration, Facility Dog Nigel, is pictured in front of the plow.

A reference photo of Facility Dog Nigel is taped to a snow plow blade while students work to recreate his image. Carey High School students selected Nigel as the subject of their Paint-the-Plow contest entry because of the positive impact he has on their community.