Category: Dogs With Jobs

Auto Added by WPeMatico

Posted on

First Therapy Dog To Work At A Police Station In Iowa Passes Away At 13

The state of Iowa’s first ever therapy dog to work at a police station has crossed the rainbow bridge on Monday, December 02, the Iowa State University Police (ISUPD) shares in an Instagram post.

The therapy dog, a Golden Retriever named Zosia, was originally born in Poland but lived in Iron Hill Retrievers in Delmar, IA for the first five years of her life.

Her career as a therapy dog began in October 2017 after going through rigorous training.

“Zosia began volunteering at multiple organizations in Story County and warmed the hearts of many,” ISUPD shared.

And it was on March of 2019 when she finally became the first therapy dog to work at a police station in the state of Iowa.

She worked with ISUPD for over five years before retiring in May of this year.

In ISUPD’s heartfelt message to Zosia, they revealed how the pooch touched the lives of thousands of community members and how “her kind and caring soul helped so many.”

“The majority of her time was spent comforting individuals working through mental health related concerns,” the Police Department shares.

“She responded to crisis calls, visited classrooms and residence halls, helped with mental health trainings, greeted incoming students at orientation, and supported individuals who came to talk about the difficult things they were experiencing.”

“She loved on people so well,” ISUPD Mental Health Advocate Supervisor and Zosia’s owner, Kinsey Hauser told the Iowa State Daily. “It didn’t matter who you are, what you’d gone through, she didn’t care. She loved everyone the same.”

Aside from being a therapy dog, ISUPD also shares how Zosia was the “best mom”.

“She had a few litters of puppies and multiple were donated to service dog organizations,” ISUPD reveals.

Zosia is reportedly survived by Hauser and her family, her grandson Zebediah, and great granddaughters Sydni and Lena.

“Zosia will be profoundly missed, fondly remembered, and forever cherished,” ISUPD wrote.

“Her legacy lives on through her grandchildren and the work they do at the Iowa State University Police Department.”

Posted on

On His First Walk After A Major Surgery, Retired K9 Dog Locates And Rescues Missing Man

Retirement didn’t stop a retired police dog after it located and rescued a missing person in East Sussex, England on his first ever walk since having major surgery.

The German Shepherd, named Bear, reportedly found the man in the forest on November 28 while being walked by owner, Julia Pope, a former police officer, The Guardian reveals.

What made the rescue special was that Bear, who was on his first ever walk two weeks after getting surgery to remove two benign tumors, was also celebrating his 12th birthday on the same day!

But such celebration did not stop Bear from locating and alerting his owner to a man in “dense undergrowth” while on their walk.

The Thin Blue Paw Foundation, a national charity that supports serving and retired police dogs across the UK, reveals on a Facebook post, “Unbeknownst to RPD Bear, the man was a vulnerable missing person who officers had been searching for without success.”

Pope tells The Guardian that Bear immediately “went into work mode” after it sensed the lost individual.

Recalling the incident, Pope explains, “[He] then dragged us to it, where he located and alerted us to a vulnerable man. I’m not sure he would have survived the night as it was extremely cold and almost dark at that point with no one else in the vicinity.”

The dog owner adds that Bear lead the way and helped the man back to an area where he could coordinate with local officers and reunite with his loved ones.

Pope describes the whole encounter as an “amazing stroke of luck”.

“RPD Bear, you’re a true hero, showing us that even in retirement, you can still save lives,” the Thin Blue Paw Foundation wrote.

Bear served with Sussex Police Dog Unit for seven years and was adopted by Pope in 2020 after his retirement.

In 2023, the retired police dog had to get emergency surgery due to having four herniated discs in his back, which caused him collapse. For this, he was supported by the Thin Blue Paw Foundation.

Posted on

The 2nd Annual First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award Is Here, And It’s Full Of Paw-mazing Contestants!

FHE Health announces the nominees for their annual First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award and the list is nothing short of paw-mazing furry friends!

FHE Health, a national behavioral health provider, has created the nationwide contest to “showcase therapy dogs everywhere in the many roles they fill, while also shining the spotlight on therapy dogs that assist first responders—and the critical need for more such dogs, both in South Florida and in communities across the U.S.”

Furthermore, the First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award is also FHE Health’s way to advocate the need for more therapy dogs for first responders across the country.

And for this year’s First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award, the list of nominees is full of good boys and girls! Some of the most notable nominees include:

  1. Deputy Dally of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. He is a 7-year-old GoldenDoodle who has been working as a Therapy K9 for 4.5 years. His most notable case involved the kidnapping of two young kids, after the vehicle the kids were in was apprehended, Deputy Dally provided much needed comfort to the kids until their mother arrived.
  2. Willowbrook if the LA County Sheriff’s Department. This little fella is proof that even the little dogs can make big impacts in their community. Willowbrook has been rescued from a backyard breeder and survived parvo. At 5.5 pounds, he has visited 6,000 sworn personnel and 8,000 civilian personnel in L.A. County.
  3. Raven of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. On his first day of work, he helped de-escalate a situation involving a man who wanted to take his own life. Thanks to Raven’s encouragement, the man was able to peacefully surrender. Way to make a great first impression on your first day at work!
  4. Lacy of the 911 Call Center in Austin, Texas. Lacy walks the aisles of the call center to support Fire, Police, and Sheriff’s Department. But Lacy’s most notable work was when she provided comfort at Uvalde Memorial Hospital after the horrific school shooting.
  5. Murphy of the Terrie Hess Child Advocacy Center. Murphy is as busy as a bee, but the work she does make a difference in the lives she touches. She supports victims of child abuse and first responders who investigate and prosecute these cases. She also supports first responders and the youth as a volunteer at Canine Caregivers Therapy Dogs.

The First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award has a total of 29 nominees and the Top 10 finalists will be chosen through public voting, which is now open until December 04.

According to FHE Health, “The finalists and first-place winner will be chosen by a small committee with representatives from FHE Health and FHE Health’s partner organization First Responders Pack Foundation.”

And the winner of the national award will receive the following prize:

  • Gift Basket From Chewy.com
  • $2,000 check in support of their work
  • Free national publicity, including a feature blog that reaches more than 100,000 people on social media and a press release announcing the news
  • A “Top Paws Therapy Dog Award” badge for placement on their website or blog in recognition of their status as one of 10 finalists
  • A $2,500 donation made in their honor by FHE Health to our partner organization First Responders Pack Foundation, which exists to train more therapy dogs for first responders

Last year, the winner of the First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award was a two-and-a-half-year-old mutt named “Sergeant Bo”.

He went from being a stray roaming the streets of Florida’s Indialantic Beach to providing much-needed comfort and security to the Covenant School Shooting victims in his first three months as a therapy dog.