By Joanna Putman
Police1
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Richland County Sheriff’s Office just introduced its newest team member. His name is C.J. and he is the department’s first emotional support dog, WLTX reported.
“He’s a crisis intervention dog and works with me every day at the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. His mission is to help support our deputies and civilian staff,” Allison Farrell, director of wellness and resiliency, told WLTX.
C.J. graduated from Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services (PAALS) training on Dec. 3. Completion of the training takes years of work and an investment of more than $40,000, PAALS Executive Director Melissa Payne told WLTX.
“The dogs are trained in cues that can mitigate some of the symptoms that come with PTSD. So we do pressure cues, like a hug that will put on someone’s thighs or feet, and it helps just bring down their heart rate. It helps calm an individual,” she said.
Farrell said C.J.’s arrival has come at a perfect time for many deputies in the department.
“Officers today see a lot of hard stuff on the road and on the jobs that they do, so he serves to support them and help me whenever I’m providing mental health treatment,” she said.