Back in May, the Lake Forest Police Department welcomed a new member to the team. A St. Bernard puppy named Winston will serve as a trained comfort dog, working alongside the LFPD’s Social Worker Lauren Perez.
Getting a comfort dog has been underway at the LFPD for some time, as police departments across the United States have been embracing social work and the importance of having different interventions for people in crisis.
Looking ahead, Perez says that once fully trained, Winston will play a key role in the department’s response to crisis calls, especially those of emotional matters.
“When there is a call that has a social or emotional component in it, we will go out and do whatever crisis intervention the situation calls for,” Perez said. “We will do death notifications, get involved with domestics, go out to several bad car accidents, and go out to try to calm kids involved. Having Winston with me should be a good tool in helping to calm the situation.”
St. Bernard’s make a great comfort animal since they do not require a lot of exercise and have perfect temperaments for crisis
work.
“The breed itself is in tune with human emotion quite well. Their comfort level with large groups of people and small children makes socializing them incredibly easy,” said Perez.
One of the most crucial steps in training is socialization. Wendie Clark, a community member and owner of service dogs, said the more you expose them to the real world as puppies, the less they are afraid of.
“The biggest challenge is to make sure that you socialize them as puppies. Like they are doing with Winston, it is important to get them out there, so they are not afraid of noises and other things,” Clark said. “Go where there are lots of people, and they have to be obedient during, knowing basic commands, and being able to assess what’s going on around them.”
Socialization is exactly what the police department’s focus is on with Winston currently.
“For his age, we focus on training, socialization, being here in the PD, getting used to the sounds of the ambulances, the police car, and people coming in and out,” Perez said. “It’s a lot of him learning our routine and the importance of staying with me in dynamic situations so that when we’re out on the road, he knows to stay with me and focus on what we’re doing.”
Perez affirms that within 12 to 18 months, Winston will be fully trained and ready to help in crises alongside the police and herself.
“Right now he’s about six months, when he gets to age one, we’ll start working with the alliance,” Perez said. “We should be able to get enrolled in that and see how long it takes, but I know that by the time he’s two, he should be 100% trained, we will be already rolling and ready to go.”
The community anticipates success for this new program, as Winston is already doing well in training and displaying friendly behavior.
“He’s already doing his job, and he doesn’t even realize it. I think it’s the draw that his presence brings; people just want to come play with him, and they might have something going on personally that they haven’t shared, but they know there’s a puppy here,” Perez said. “Who doesn’t love a puppy?!”
Clark already sees signs that Winston will be an excellent comfort dog.
“I think therapy dogs have a sixth sense, they are just so in tune with if people are sad or happy or something,” Clark said. “They bring out the best in people, and I kind of see that a little bit with Winston.”
The community has responded with enthusiasm to the introduction of the LFPD’s newest member. Winston can be seen as a step towards supporting mental health and building trust between the department and the community.
“I think it is a really good bridge between the police department and the community, and what better way than a dog,” Clark said. “It humanizes them a little bit, it’s a
way for the police department to reassure people that they are for the good of the community”
Sophomore Lilly Cathlina heard about Winston and expressed her excitement.
“I think it is super cool that the police department is doing this,” Cathlina said. “I love dogs so much and think this could be an awesome benefit for the community.”
The police department is hopeful that Winston will make a positive impact on the community by providing comfort to individuals in moments of crisis. With his steady progress, Winston is already proving to be a valuable member of the LFPD.
