ESTEVAN — The latest Estevan Police member knows nothing about policing but is learning a lot about supporting humans through the toughest times.
Cherry the dog joined the EPS at the end of January through Companion Paws Canada, an organization dedicated to supporting Canadians in need of specially-trained and supportive therapy furry fellows while providing a second chance for pets in rescues through The LifeLine Canada Foundation. Cherry will be completing her training to be a full-time member of the EPS as the service therapy dog.
Cherry was still a bit timid while getting to know her new country, new city, new home and new workplace in the last days of January. A rescue from Mexico, Cherry arrived in Canada on Jan. 28, came to Estevan on Jan. 29 and visited the EPS for the first time the next day.
"Companion Paws Canada helped us locate her and are helping with ongoing training," said Estevan Police Chief Rich Lowen. "She's going to be our therapy dog in terms of wellness for our members, she will be able to interact and socialize with our members and [provide] just a bit of comfort for officers that go through continuous trauma as we see a lot of trauma in our careers. And to have a little furry friend like this to be able to bring us a little bit of comfort is going to be a nice addition to the service."
Cherry still has a lot of training and the certificate program to go through, but Lowen said they hope she'll be with the service for a long time. Helping the little dog through this journey will be her volunteer handler, Const. Deanna Conquergood.
The newest EPS member is about two years old, the vet estimated, and is a mixed breed. Lowen noted that they had to find a dog that would be hypoallergenic and also the right size, and Cherry checked all the boxes.
"We've been working through 2023 to find a suitable candidate, and it was a challenge," Lowen said. "There's lots of dogs that are looking for rescue and dogs that are being trained. But we had to find one that's appropriate for us. It couldn't be too small, because we do have a police dog and we wanted to make sure that those two don't cause each other triggers because a police dog can develop a prey kind of mentality. And it couldn't be too big either.
"[Our therapy dog] had to be a certain size, so it took us a while to find her. And then they had to go through training. And that took a while as well."
Max, the EPS dog that's been a part of the service since 2017, working with handler Const. Paul Chabot, is not going to meet Cherry, Lowen said, as the two have different purposes. Max is a police dog, while Cherry's main jobs will be therapeutic and social.
"I'd like to see, at the end of the day, that she has free range of the station, walk anywhere in the station, and just be around the members when they feel they need her contact," Lowen explained. "[The hope is after completing the training], she recognizes that a person needs a little contact, and then she'll approach them, and she'll feel brave enough, won't be timid and be okay to sit quietly with somebody and have that contact, which helps people feel better.
"I think it's a real benefit. The healthier our members feel, the better they work for the people of Estevan," Lowen added.
For the EPS, Cherry will be their first therapy dog, but more and more furry helpers are joining police services globally to support officers in dealing with stress accumulated through work. Therapy dogs play a crucial role in law enforcement by significantly mitigating immediate heightened anxiety after critical incidents. Additionally, they have the potential to enhance recall during debriefing sessions. Moreover, these animals have been demonstrated to be effective in assisting individuals in coping with prolonged post-traumatic stress, according to the U.S. Police Magazine.
