REGINA – There are three new recruits to the southern Saskatchewan victim services units.
Cane, Beaumont and Merlot have joined the team as trauma intervention canines.
The two year old Labradors will work on the victim services team, meeting people on their worst day to provide them comfort and support.
Studies show trauma dogs reduce shock and anxiety for victims in turn helping them relax so they can cope with what what happened and communicate that to a police officer.
The dogs come to us from the Pacific Assistance Dog Society (PADS) in Burnaby, BC.
PADS breeds all types of service dogs. These guys were chosen to serve as trauma partners because of their compassionate temperaments.
“They have to be bomb-proof,” said PADS executive director Laura Watamanuk. “They have to go into very traumatic situations. They really tend to source out the person that is under a lot of stress, who has high anxiety, a lot of emotion, a lot of tears, but they’re not scared of it. They’re very attracted to it. At the end of the day though, it’s very important they don’t take on that stress.”
It takes two years of training at PADS to become a canine assisted intervention trauma dog (CAI).
Beaumont will be working with the Southeast Saskatchewan victim services team. Kane is heading to Moose Jaw’s victim services.
Merlot is staying here in Regina with Cpl. Tia Froh. They’ll work together all day, and go home and relax together at night.
Police Chief Troy Hagan was on hand to meet the new team members.
Initially, Merlot will be helping Cpl Froh in interviews with child victims of abuse, but that work may extend to helping victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, robbery and many other traumatizing circumstances, providing support and reducing anxiety.
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