OSWEGO, NY – Mayor Billy Barlow announced today The City of Oswego is taking an exciting step in supporting the mental health and wellness of members of our community, as officers by introducing the police department’s newest team member, K9 Donny.
Donny is a 14-week-old Goldendoodle who will be specially trained to serve as the police department’s first therapy dog. Donny was purchased with grant funding provided by Walmart. The funding will also be utilized for training expenses and supplies necessary to support Donny in carrying out his mission at the Oswego Police Department.
Therapy dogs have been proven to be effective in reducing anxiety and creating a welcome atmosphere for those in which they interact with. K9 Donny will serve to support child and adult victims as well as those in our community in crisis, and those who may experience a critical incident or traumatic event. K9 Donny will also be available as a resource to our officers and civilian staff. Law enforcement agencies in New York State and across the nation have increasingly implemented therapy dog programs and have seen great success. At a time where the Oswego Police Department has observed a continual increase in mental health related calls for service and the vicarious trauma faced by our officers is greater than ever, the need for innovative solutions to support mental health in our community is clear.
“Introducing a therapy Dog to the Oswego police department is not only a worthwhile investment in our employees but also provides a wonderful new resource to our officers who experience and endure so much while serving our community. We are happy to have successfully applied for a grant to support the initial purchase of K9 Donny and fully believe he will make a significant positive difference in the Oswego police department,” said Mayor Billy Barlow.
“The welcome addition of K9 Donny to our department underscores our agency’s commitment to the mental health and wellness of our officers and those in the community we so proudly serve. I want to acknowledge Officer Brandon Lummis’s work on this project, without his due diligence and research, this would not have been possible” said Chief of Police Phil Cady.
K9 Donny is named in honor of Lieutenant Don Hill, who lost his life in the line of duty on November 11, 1995. Lieutenant Hill dedicated 20 years of honorable service to the Oswego City community. Lt. Hill was well known to the community not only for his professionalism and excellence in policing, but also for being an excellent father and husband.
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