Therapy dog ​​makes a difference for police – Salisbury Post

KANNAPOLIS — Kannapolis police have a new member on their force who is already making a difference in the department, Kannapolis Police Chief Terry Spry said. Millie, a four-month-old Bernedoodle, is a therapy dog ​​and was donated to the Kannapolis Police Department by Taylor Wise, owner of Dunkin Doodles in Waxhaw.

Although Millie is not the Kannapolis Police Department’s first service dog (the department has five police dogs), she is the first to serve as a therapy dog.

“Millie has already made a difference in our department. She helps us deal with the trauma of the difficult things we see every day,” Spry said. “When our officers see her, they relax and smile. She is an uplifting part of our day.”

The Wise family wanted to help and express their gratitude to law enforcement, and they are friends with one of the Kannapolis police officers, which is how the connection was made.

“When the tragic event occurred in Charlotte and four police officers lost their lives, my family and I wanted to help the officers in our area and show our appreciation for everything they do for all of us every day,” Wise said. “Our puppies are usually adopted before they are born, but we had two, Millie and her sister Phoebe, who didn’t have a home. We felt their purpose was to work as therapy dogs for the police.”

The department has long wanted to acquire a therapy dog ​​and Millie’s donation comes at an ideal time, as the dogs, their training and their upkeep are expensive, they said.

Sister Phoebe was handed over to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Millie’s handler is Lt. Justin Smith. The two will begin an eight-week AKC-certified therapy dog ​​training course later this month. After completing the course, Millie will accompany Smith to the police department and will be available to all members of the department to assist with difficult incidents or simply to help ease the stresses of everyday life.

“Once Millie completes her training, you will see her at community events and at City Hall as a therapy dog ​​for other city employees,” Spry said. “We are very grateful for Taylor’s gift of Mille to us. This gift from Millie and her connection to our officers will play an important role in ensuring we take care of the mental health of our officers and our community.”