Humanity’s Best Friend

December 2, 2020

Police in Halton are preparing to unveil their latest recruit – a therapy dog to be deployed in the coming months.

The scheme, discussed at a recent Halton Borough Council safer policy and performance board (PPB) meeting, would make Cheshire the first force in the North West to embrace the mood-enhancing benefits of humanity’s best friend and potentially the first in the country to do so on an in-house basis.

A report published ahead of the of PPB meeting said it is hoped the dog will not only aid officer wellbeing and victim engagement in the Northern Area division, but also in helping to steer the borough’s youth away from potentially harmful situations.

It said Essex Police is the sole force in the UK with a volunteer therapy dog, Baloo, who was injured in a collision and is now handled by a dog officer.

The report said Baloo has been a “huge success” and helped officers process the trauma of discovering a wagon containing 39 dead smuggled migrants.

Devon Police hires a dog to bolster morale in its control room.

It is anticipated that the Cheshire Northern Division’s therapy canine will be used in school visits and at youth events including across Runcorn and Widnes, Cheshire, as well as to promote mental health and cyber safety campaigns on social media.

The scheme is expected to be funded by a combination of the Cheshire Crime Beat charity, the Cheshire dog unit, and the potential to draw commissioner cash to pay for officer training.

A borough business has also offered to support the initiative.

The report said no other force has adopted a therapy dog scheme assigned to a regular officer, as Essex’s is a voluntary project.

Among those welcoming the plans was Inspector Becky Stokes, of Widnes Local Policing Unit, who tweeted: “Can’t wait for our wonderful therapy dog to land at Widnes – he will be a ray of sunshine.”

Describing the dog’s anticipated benefits, the report said: “It is also proven that the process of patting and stroking a dog reduces the blood pressure, promotes relaxation and changes your physiological state into a more relaxed mode.

“Dogs in a workplace/school can lessen the overall stress of an environment especially when working with younger people.”

  • Most Recent News

    Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life

    June 2, 2021

    When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]

    Read more

    Students Get Therapy Dog

    January 8, 2021

    When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dogtor

    January 8, 2021

    Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dog Pups

    January 8, 2021

    When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]

    Read more

    Puppy Cams

    January 7, 2021

    A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]

    Read more

    Pet Committee

    January 7, 2021

    When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]

    Read more

    The Right Rescue Dog

    January 7, 2021

    If your New Year’s resolution is to add a canine family member, good for you. Somewhere out there is the perfect puppy or adult dog for your family. You have a lot of things to think about when you begin to look for that new family member, puppy or dog? Large or small? Purebred or […]

    Read more

    Police Dog Attack

    January 7, 2021

    A resolution headed to the Duluth City Council on Monday could put to rest a lawsuit filed by Teri Lynn Ehlers, an employee of the Patch Motel, who was bitten by a Duluth police dog named Oakley. Former Duluth Police Officer Marc Johnson was a registered guest of the Warroad establishment May 28, 2018, when […]

    Read more

    PAWS With A Cause

    January 7, 2021

    Pebble Hill Plantation and the Thomas County Public Library are pleased to announce the upcoming Enlightening Bites program, “PAWS With a Cause,” on Friday, January 8, 2021 at noon in the Flipper Room of the Library. The program is being presented by Jeri Anderson, field representative. Anderson is recently retired from the City of Monticello, […]

    Read more

    Police Canine Team

    January 7, 2021

    Kingston Police revealed in a news release late Wednesday afternoon that they’ve been keeping a four-legged secret for roughly three months. The force announced it added a second canine unit, with the arrival of police service dog Dak this past October. He is working with Const. Jeff Dickson, while police service dog Bask is working […]

    Read more

    More Recent News