EUGENE – Usually, when a K9 is on the police force, their role is for apprehension, search and rescue, or tracking.
This past year, Lane County police departments and mental health agencies have been implementing the use of working dogs in their facilities as support animals.
Darin Campbell, creator and executive director of Working Dogs Oregon (WDO), has been providing well-being service animals to Lane County residents since March. Last Wednesday, he allowed folks to meet and learn about the impact the service dogs are having in the communities they serve.
“Every one of them is uniquely made for the agency that they’re working for, and every one does it a little bit different,” Campbell said. “That’s what makes our program so great, is we’re able to adapt and make sure that we’re going to be successful with that agency.”
WDO was created in response to Campbell’s wife’s need for a service animal. The couple found out how difficult it would be to obtain one from an established organization after his wife received a mental health diagnosis and was recommended one by her doctor.
The company was founded in Portland and grew into a statewide nonprofit that not only trains comfort, therapy, service, and law-enforcement support dogs, but also donates them at no cost to recipients.
“Everything we do, we do for the agencies. They’re receiving the resources. So we’ve never charged anybody for the dogs that we provide. It’s 100% funded by the generosity of the people who want to give us money and open their checkbooks,” said Campbell. He said that thanks to Rotary grants, WDO has been able to focus resources in Lane County.
On Oct. 30, $4,356 was presented to the Lane County Sheriff’s K9 Unit on behalf of Lane County Granges.
According to a press release from the Creswell Grange, the funds were raised by Community Granges competing to see which one could raise the most money for the K9 Unit. Patti Scott headed up the fundraising efforts at Creswell Grange, bringing in $1,650 to help provide food and veterinary care for the Sheriff’s K9 Unit dogs.
In August 2023, WDO trained and donated K9 Ripp to the Cottage Grove Police Department. In October, the newest member of the department family was sworn into office as a comfort K9, a golden retriever and black lab mix named Sabrina.
“We were talking about building out our wellness program, having a comfort dog at the department and being part of our police family there, and not just assigned to one particular handler, but a dog that the whole department could benefit from,” said Cory Chase, Cottage Grove Police Chief.
According to Chase, because of the department’s tight budget, the department would not have been able to afford Sabrina if she had not been donated. CGPD designed stuffed Sabrina plushies to sell to community members and donate the proceeds to WDO as a thank-you for the K9.
“When he first brought her down there and we saw her, we just kind of knew that this dog was going to be perfect for our department and perfect for our staff,” Chase said. “We come in, this dog doesn’t care what’s going on, doesn’t care where you just came from, or what call you were on, or what’s going on. She just wants you to play with her.”
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office showcased a Goldendoodle named Carlton in honor of Carlton Smith, a fallen deputy who died in the line of duty.
Lane County Sheriff and Creswell native Carl Wilkerson said staff wellness has been a big focus for the department over the last couple of years, and Carlton was part of that program.
“I’ve noticed a change, especially in our dispatchers. … They’re excited to come to work because they know he’s gonna be there,” said LCSO Deputy Daren Kendrick. He said dispatchers and deputies regularly take Carlton on walks to help relieve their stress.
Kendrick mentioned that the public really likes the idea of a wellness dog on the team. Donations from community members go towards Carlton’s maintenance, like vet bills, grooming, and dog food.
Carlton’s brother, Sam, was also in attendance at the event. Sam, short for Serenity Sam, is a Goldendoodle who works at Serenity Lane Treatment Center in Coburg. He is the first WDO comfort dog to work at a treatment facility, and his impact has been undeniable.
Abby Schmidt, alumni specialist, said the agency believes recovery is possible for everybody.
“We’ve noticed (people in recovery) never even encountered or experienced unconditional love, maybe ever, when they walk through our doors. If you aren’t an animal lover or dog lover like we are, that’s what dogs provide,” Schmidt said. “They’re not there to judge your past. They’re not there to label you as an alcoholic or label you as a drug addict; they’re just there to be there for you and to sit with you,” she said.
Sam has excelled in his role, as each dog is trained for their specific agency. Schmidt shared a moment when a staff member was walking him, and Sam quickly ran to support a distressed patient at the other end of the building.
Sam has this sense of when someone really needs him, and he goes and he sits with them, which has just been really powerful,” she said. “As humans, and especially people in recovery, sometimes that’s all we need, we just need somebody willing to sit with us in our pain.”
Schmidt also mentioned the double benefit of having Sam for the workforce. “We didn’t understand the blessing that it would be to our staff.”
Willamette Family’s Carlton House received a service dog, Rex, from WDO. Rex, a German Shepherd, is seen as more than a typical police K9 because of his calm, friendly demeanor, making him ideal for therapeutic intervention. He supports clients dealing with trauma from substance abuse, incarceration, homelessness, or military service, providing comfort during therapy sessions and group work.
“We have several clients that suffer from night terrors as a result, and Rex goes in and they’re able to sleep through the night for the first time,” Harper said.
She described a situation when a client with significant dog trauma would have panic attacks when Rex was first introduced into the facility, and now they are best friends, “Now they cuddle,” she said.
