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The Atherton Police Department announced in a July 24 news release that the department’s newest employee would be Emmy, a six-month-old goldendoodle therapy dog.
Emmy was added to the department as part of an initiative to support community well-being, and the mental health of first responders. The therapy dog program is part of the police department’s partnership with Hearts 4 Heroes, a nonprofit that focuses on serving the mental health needs of first responders.
“The goal of the program is to help reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression, lessen trauma of critical incidents for employees and community members, improve overall staff morale, aid in investigations of crimes or other traumatic events such as interviews and court proceedings, help process grief and loss, and conduct presentations for public relations and educational purposes,” said Cmdr. Dan Larsen.
Emmy and her handler, Sgt. Jon Fong, are currently in the process of completing Emmy’s training and therapy dog certification.
“Sgt. Fong and Emmy do bi-weekly trainings and have already passed their puppy star testing,” said Cmdr. Larsen. “They will be getting their (Canine Good Citizen) certification in the coming months. After completion of the CGC certification, they will work toward their therapy certification with the hope of getting this completed by age 1.”
Her therapy dog training work includes learning techniques to help people lower their heart rates, stress levels and anxiety levels.
“Emmy has been amazing so far, she exceeded my expectations at her young puppy age of six months,” said Sgt. Fong. “The organization Hearts 4 Heroes did a fantastic job of providing us with a puppy that is well trained. … She knows all of her basic commands, and this past week, we just started learning stop, drop and roll (for fire safety).”
The Atherton Police Department’s therapy dog program’s initial startup cost of $5,000 was paid for by the Atherton Police Activities League. These startup costs included veterinarian care, training, food, a crate, a bed, insurance and Emmy herself, according to Cmdr. Larsen. Emmy will live with Sgt. Fong’s family.
Emmy will be present at the police department when Sgt. Fong is on duty, and on-call for when she is needed. Cmdr. Larsen also said that Emmy and Sgt. Fong will be available to assist other nearby police departments if needed and requested.
“Emmy is not allowed any human food, but loves her dog treats. Her current favorite is the Charlee Bear bacon and blueberry flavored crunch treats,” said Sgt. Fong. “She will be both out on patrol occasionally as well as at our station.”
Emmy has already attended an Atherton Disaster and Preparedness Team community meeting, and will be seen around town at other community events. She will be greeting community members at the Atherton Police Department’s National Night Out event in Holbrook-Palmer Park, 150 Watkins Ave., on Aug. 6.
