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The Battle Ground Police Department is excited to introduce their newest member, Rafferty! Rafferty is a two-year-old Labrador that will serve the agency as a Comfort Dog.
Comfort dogs are different from police K9 units, which are deployed alongside officers to help apprehend suspects and assist in missing persons and narcotic investigations. Comfort dogs, on the other hand, are trained specifically to stay calm and help others be calm as well. A comfort dog program provides police officers with another option to increase positive interactions during investigations involving children or adults to reduce anxiety, break down emotional barriers and increase communication, when providing aid to people who have been impacted by violence, tragedy or traumatic events.
Rafferty will initially serve as a member of the department’s Peer Support Team which promotes the overall wellness and resilience of our first responders. In addition to assisting agency staff, Rafferty will help with the care of crime victims and witnesses during times of crisis.
The Battle Ground Police Department is extremely excited and thankful to launch the comfort dog program which was made possible through a generous donation from Guide Dogs for the Blind. Originally trained as a guide dog, Rafferty’s new role with the police department will be somewhat of a career change for him. Nancy Denier, the Master Trainer and Dog Placement Coordinator, helped transition Rafferty to his new handler, Lt. Jason Perdue, on August 27th.
“We know Rafferty will provide a great deal of support, both inside the police department and to the public we serve,” said Chief Dennis Flynn. “We are incredibly grateful to Guide Dogs for the Blind and to Nancy for their support, helping us bring this valuable resource to Battle Ground.”
In addition to improving mental health resources for community members and officers, Rafferty is sure to be a big part of the police department’s community engagement program, fostering positive relationships and building trust with those we serve.