The day in the life of a police officer can be rather stressful.
He or she never knows what they may encounter once they hit the streets. Sadly, they also never know if they will be coming home to loved ones when their shift is over, as it just takes one fateful event to change the lives of many.
That said, having as much support on the job as possible is important for the physical and mental health of every officer and staff member in a department.
When it comes to the La Mesa Police Department, there is one special pooch providing continual support in more ways than one.
Declan is La Mesa’s police facility dog and he makes no bones about caring for the men and women of the LMPD.
La Mesa Courier caught up recently with Services Lieutenant/Public Information Officer Katy Lynch to chat about all Declan means to the LMPD.
LMC: For the general public, explain a little bit about the difference between a police service dog and facility dog.
Lynch: When people hear “police dog” they tend to picture a police K9, which is a patrol canine or apprehension canine. They might also think of “drug dogs” or “bomb dogs.” Declan is none of those things. As a Facility Dog, Declan’s job is about providing love and support to everyone who works at the La Mesa Police Department, to help mitigate the stress and trauma our first responders and professional staff are exposed to, either directly or vicariously. While a Facility Dog is a highly trained dog whose job is to provide unconditional love and support for everyone at a particular facility, a Service Dog is a highly trained dog who performs specific tasks for their handler who has a disability. A Service Dog has public access rights under ADA law, to assist their human handler navigate the world despite their disability. A Facility Dog does not have public access rights under ADA law.
LMC: What is a ‘normal’ day like for Declan when it comes to police work?
Lynch: On a “normal” day, Declan is awake early and ready for his breakfast. He does not require multiple cups of coffee the way I do to get his day started. As soon as we arrive at work, he’s excited to make our rounds. We typically try to walk around the station, say good morning to people and let them interact with Declan throughout the day. He goes with me to meetings and is available anytime someone stops by my office to say hello, get some ear-scratches or belly rubs, and spend time with anyone. Once we get home from work, he gets some play time with his dog-brother and then is ready for bed around 8 p.m. Should my phone ring in the middle of the night because of a critical incident, Declan is always ready to roll into work and love on any of our employees who might need it.
LMC: Do other police departments around San Diego also have facility dogs to your knowledge?
Lynch: The San Diego Police Department also has a Facility Dog based out of their Wellness Unit and another Facility Dog based out of their child-abuse unit. Those two Facility Dogs were also trained and certified by Next Step Service Dogs.
LMC: What has been the public’s typical reaction when they come in contact with Declan out in the field?
Lynch: Declan does not go out into the field unless there is a community engagement event. He loves meeting community members, especially kids, and always receives a warm reception when we attend events. Due to his popularity with kids, we have done several “Donuts with Declan” events, during which we take donuts to a classroom and get to talk to the kids and let them meet Declan. This coming fall, we will be introducing “Reading with Declan” for elementary aged kids. I’ll read a story to the kids called “If My Dog Declan Could Talk” and the kids can all meet Declan.
LMC: How old is Declan and how many more years of police work might he have?
Lynch: Declan is 4 ½ years old and could work until he’s 9 or 10 years old, but it will depend on his health and his energy levels.
LMC: What would you say are some of Declan’s greatest attributes?
Lynch: One of Declan’s greatest attributes is his eyes. He looks at you with those eyes and you forget about anything that is bothering you. He also genuinely loves people and interacting with them, so when someone needs some dog love, he’s excited to do it. Labrador Retrievers can be pretty goofy dogs sometimes, and Declan is no exception, but he’s also a very sweet loving boy who will sit right next to you and let you absent-mindedly scratch his ears.
LMC: Anything else the public should know about Declan?
Lynch: I think it’s important for the public to know about Facility Dogs, but also to understand the difference between a station dog vs. a facility dog vs. a service dog. A working Service Dog out in public is working for their handler, who otherwise might not be able to go out in public because of a disability. Not all disabilities are visible. A lot of our military veterans and first responders sustain life-altering traumatic injuries and for those individuals, having a Service Dog can be lifesaving. While the average community member may experience one or two traumatic incidents in their entire lives, the average people officer will experience between 180 and 200 traumatic incidents just in their career. We prioritize wellness at La Mesa PD because of this and because we recognize the importance of keeping our officers physically, emotionally, and mentally well. We are extremely fortunate to have Declan as part of our wellness team here and we are grateful to Next Step Service Dogs for partnering with us to make our Facility Dog program a reality.
