Paw and order! Stressed cops now get mental health support from the force’s ‘wellness dog’ named Honey
- Springer Spaniel Honey has been visiting officers to improve mental well-being
- The national network Oscar Kilo 9 provided honey to the Kent Police.
- Interactive dog sessions aim to ‘provide relief’ and get people talking
<!–
<!–
<!– <!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
Kent Police officers are being comforted by a dedicated wellness and trauma support dog after dealing with distressing incidents in a bid to improve the mental health of staff.
Springer Spaniel Honey has been visiting stations in the Essex area to provide a few minutes of relief to those in need, such as frontline officers who have been on the scene of traumatic incidents or 999 callers who may receive disturbing calls. .
The calming canine belongs to a community policing volunteer and was delivered to Kent Police through the national Oscar Kilo 9 (OK9) network, which aims to introduce welfare dogs to stations across the country.
Springer Spaniel Honey (pictured) has been visiting stations in the Essex area to provide a few minutes of relief to those in need. Other volunteer therapy dogs are also used to address the mental health of staff and help vulnerable individuals and children.
The project began with a trial in a handful of forces where dogs were brought into the workplace to provide a “calming presence”.
PC Martyn Tulk, who leads the Community Policing Canine Volunteer team, said: ‘Policing is challenging and demanding work that can frequently lead to stressful, upsetting and sometimes unsettling situations.
“More and more police forces are recognizing the value of dogs in helping officers and staff deal with the daily stresses of work and in supporting their general well-being.
“When a dog is introduced to the workplace, the interactions can provide some much-needed light relief.
According to the police chiefs, they have seen a significant difference in the well-being of the staff after the visit of the hard-working bloodhounds.
Officers who participated in the scheme were found to share oxytocin, a hormone that builds trust, affection and a sense of security, with welfare dogs.
The increase in oxytocin naturally lowers cortisone levels, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety associated with such a demanding and dangerous job.
This led to the creation of the national OK9 network, which now has over 100 accredited trauma and well-being support dogs across 30 British police forces and fire and rescue services.
Honey is owned by a community policing volunteer and was provided to Kent Police through the national Oscar Kilo 9 (OK9) network, which aims to introduce welfare dogs to stations across the country.
The interactive sessions, which can be aimed at groups or individuals, aim to “bring a little relief from the rigors of work” and get people talking.
Each wellness dog has a handler, who is a trained support partner or mental health first responder, to allow for difficult conversations and signaling support when needed.
In addition to Honey, the dedicated wellness trauma and support dog, Kent Police uses other volunteer therapy dogs to address the mental health of staff and support vulnerable individuals and children.
Each dog is screened by an animal welfare plan and there are comprehensive risk and insurance assessments.
PC Tulk added: “We hope that Honey’s presence will help our officers and staff find it easier to engage and talk about issues and events that have been bothering them or may have been affecting their mental health and well-being.”
.
