Two therapy dogs join the Hamilton Police Department

Hamilton Police Officers spent a week this summer training with their new four-legged partners and returned with K9s who are looking for pets and kisses rather than suspects and drugs.

Gloria and Arthur are not the typical police dogs. The rescue pups are newly certified therapy dogs offering comfort and support for police officers, firefighters and folks in the community.

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“The program is designed to help victims of crime, children at school who might get upset or experience a traumatic event, things like that,” said Officer Rodney Wilson, who is partnered with Gloria. “She is available so they can spend time with her, love on her and help them relax.”

The program, paid for by a grant, was designed to help in traumatic situations the first responders might see and need comfort processing.

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

“We decided the therapy program was a good idea for our peers, for the community, for kids and for anyone,” he said. Gloria will be patrolling city streets along with Wilson. “I plan on stopping into nursing homes, daycares, businesses or any place she is needed.”

Officer Jacob Hiatt teamed with Arthur, a young border collie. Both teams trained for a week in Florida in the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office Therapy Dogs Academy. They are now as good at commands as they are at being loved on.

Credit: Nick Graham

“He likes to fetch, and he is very obedient for two weeks of training,” said Hiatt.

Arthur’s job is to be calm, look cute and let people pet him.

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“That’s pretty much it. It’s a rough life,” Hiatt said with a laugh. “He does know it is time to go to work when I put the harness on.”

Therapy dog are becoming more common in situations where people are in stressful situations, trials where victims testify, schools and any situation where the dogs presence will help comfort people or reduce anxiety.

Both dogs were big hits Thursday night at the HPD Open House doing what they do best: collecting pets and kisses.