Fox Lake Police Department adopts comfort dog

The Fox Lake Police Department has adopted a comfort dog, Hank, who has been in service for about two weeks.

Hank is a 9-month-old Huskie mix, the rescue program speculates, according to Fox Lake Police Chief Dawn DeServi.

DeServi said the primary purposes of the comfort dog are to foster public connection, provide comfort in traumatic events and act as a stress reliever for police officers.

“For instance, if we have to do a death notification or a child abuse case, especially when juveniles are involved, it has been documented that by having that dog present for that juvenile to be able to snuggle up to, it helps calm them a little bit,” DeServi said. “It helps them communicate a little bit more clearly and be able to answer some of the questions that we have to ask. It's also been found that it helps process some of the trauma, so that’s a huge benefit.”

Hank was adopted through Paws and Stripes, a program based in Florida where behavioral specialists pick dogs from local shelters with the “right personality” for a comfort animal, DeServi said.

The specialists train the dog until it passes a certification test and is ready for service.

While Hank is in service now, he is not legally allowed to be with an officer for the entire duration of the ride until the department completely installs the necessary equipment in their cars.

“The handler will determine if it is appropriate for the dog to come out of the vehicle because obviously we have to ensure the safety of the people and the dog,” DeServi said. “Maybe somebody has allergies to where we can't use the dog or it’s too hazardous of an environment for the dog and we wouldn't want to put that dog in that environment.”

In addition to bringing Hank during responses to emergency calls, DeServi said there are plans to bring the dog to spend time in nearby elderly communities and schools in an effort for the department to connect with members of the community. They already have scheduled Hank’s appearance at a reading day for a nearby grade school.