When we hear about rescue dogs, we often think about poor creatures who stay at animal shelters, waiting to get adopted. This particular pooch, however, is a rescue dog who leads a different life and now part of the Valley Police Department.
Cora, a rescue dog, is now a member of the police force. Everyone has high expectations for her since she’s new. According to Officer Ed Morales, Cora’s main task is to help people who need to undergo stress management or suffer mental, emotional, and psychological issues.
The pooch is now part of the Gilbert Police Department, and Officer Ed Morales will be her handler. Officer Morales is also the department’s wellness coordinator and peer support.
According to Officer Morales, when he first took the job, he asked people about the things which could help the community and the department. Most of them responded that they need a therapy dog.
Meet Gilbert PD's New Therapy Dog
Meet Cora! 🐾 She makes the paw-fect addition to our team by providing emotional support during stressful situations.She's a rescue from Friends for Life Animal Rescue and already has some big fans. 💙
Posted by Gilbert Police Department on Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Friends for Life Animal Rescue representative, Barb Savoy, said that Cora possesses great potential in becoming a therapy dog. They were the ones who trained Cora from the start, so they know how the pooch behaves.
Cora already made Friends for Life Animal Rescue Center her home. But, the staff worry about what will happen to her if she just stayed at the center. Fortunately, they found a chance for Cora to live a different life. When they learned that Gilbert Police needed a therapy dog, they didn’t hesitate to endorse the pooch.
Officer Morales said that they were looking for a dog with specific behavior and skills. The pooch needs to have empathy, and she has to be sensitive enough to read people and situations. The dog also needs to be pretty confident about herself.
Sheila Lyengar, a dog trainer, headed the therapy dog assessment. She checked out several dogs to see which one will be the perfect one to join the police force. In the end, she picked Cora.
Lyengar said that she helped Cora undergo formal training. Soon enough, Cora learned how to adapt to various situations. She learned how to be at ease even when she’s in an unfamiliar place or whenever she hears strange sounds.
In a matter of two months, Cora became a responsible member of the police department. She patrols the police department and checks out how her co-workers are doing. She also attends meetings at times.
Thank you to Gilbert Police Department for this story.
