The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) is officially introducing the newest member of the GPD family. “PJ” is a Comfort/Therapy Dog.
A Comfort Dog initiative aims to bring comfort and joy to individuals in need. “The comfort dog program’s goal is to improve officers, first responders, victims, witnesses and our community’s well-being by having the animal provide emotional support in an effort to reduce the stress and anxiety,” a GPD Facebook posting explains.
“First responders, victims, and witnesses endure and experience various types of traumatic events. Many of these events can have a negative impact on individuals over time. Comfort Dogs can serve a vital role in assisting First Responders and citizens to help reduce the long-term effects of trauma.”
PJ is a 1-year-old purebred Black lab, who was bred and assessed for her “temperament/behavior by Rucker Dog Training.”
She’s been deployed a few times recently in the school system with staff that were needing support due to stressful situations. PJ was recently deployed when a parent was upset and having a difficult time raising 9 children. This parent’s words were, “Petting your dog and speaking with you (PJ’s handler) has been the highlight of my week.”
