'It's basically just a loving animal': Buffalo Grove adds a warm and fuzzy approach to policing

When you think of police dogs, the standard image is the K-9, aggressively sniffing for drugs or chasing down a suspect.

But law enforcement departments now are relying more on a different type of dog - a warm and fuzzy alternative that's not part of a first response, but subsequent police work that requires a more sensitive approach.

One of the latest of the so-called therapy or comfort dogs in the suburbs is Gus, a 4-year-old Labrador retriever-standard poodle mix who recently joined the Buffalo Grove Police Department. He lives and works with the police department's social worker, Brittany Wilson.

Wilson, who has worked for the police department since 2016, assists in a wide variety of crisis situations - including domestic disputes, child custody disagreements and circumstances involving mental health issues.

Unlike police dogs, which generally are German shepherds or similar breeds, therapy dogs can be any shape, size or breed, said Jay Reed, president of the Masonic Association of Service and Therapy Dogs (MAST). The Lake Villa organization trains therapy dogs, including Chance, who works with partner Detective Craig Arnold with the Elgin Police Department.

"We have everything from Pomeranians to bull mastiffs, as long as they certify at age 1-year-old," Reed said.

Most certifying therapy dog classes are three hours long. MAST's minimum is 10 hours.

"Plus, we do feel that they have to go out and do (four to six) hours of field work," said Reed, a former firefighter.

The result is a dog that can help in a crisis, such as a case of domestic violence.

"The dog will come in and work with the victim, whoever they classify as the victim, and the dog and the handler will work with that victim, calming them down, making them feel safe," Reed said.

When the victim is more at ease, he said, witness statements are much more detailed.

That fits perfectly into Wilson's mission in Buffalo Grove.

"My primary role within the police department is to bridge the gap between the police department and the community by being the victim advocate and providing resources for individuals within Buffalo Grove for additional support," Wilson said.

Gus is an alum of the Paws & Stripes comfort and therapy dog obedience program, which is facilitated by the Brevard County (Florida) Sheriff's Office. The program pairs trained and carefully selected jail inmates with shelter dogs who are trained to provide therapy services with law enforcement. All dogs selected receive basic obedience training and are screened for temperament and behavioral characteristics.

Gus not only helps de-escalate stressful situations with clients, he also will assist police officers and other first responders cope with the stress and impact of their jobs.

"We're just so grateful for Gus. The smiles that he brings on a daily basis not only to myself, but to the officers and to my clients, is just priceless," Wilson said.

Elgin has seen results with Chance, a golden retriever who joined the force last year.

Arnold said the idea to bring Chance on to the force came from former Elgin police Cmdr. Eric Echevarria, now police chief in Peoria.

"They're not trained to do search and rescue. They're not trained to do article searches or anything like that. It's basically just a loving animal," Arnold said.

Chance will show up at city events and also makes appearances at hospitals to visit patients.

Arnold said therapy dogs from MAST provided therapy after a high school student died by suicide. More than 100 students came into the school auditorium to visit the dogs.

"They would literally sit there and kind of chat with a dog that can't respond to them. So it definitely brings out a side of people that you may not normally see," Arnold said.