The umdpolicedept welcomed a new member to their team: Canine Companions #facilitydog Sammy! 🐕‍🦺👮 “He’s a social icebreaker,” says Jessica Reiss, our program director for the Northeast Region, who likened the intensive training to a dog earning a master’s degree. “With the increased acknowledgement of mental health issues and the state of the world, there’s a need for dogs with these skills.” Sammy, like all of our #facilitydogs, are trained in up to 45 tasks, which differentiates them from therapy dogs or emotional support dogs. He's trained to work along side his handler, Cpl. Bart Brady, who witnessed the success of our facility dog with the cityofhyattsvillepd, where he used to work. “If someone’s in distress or having a really bad day, he’ll automatically go to them because he can sense it,” says Cpl. Brady. Then, Sammy can “cover,” laying across a person “like a weighted blanket,” if they’re sitting on the ground, or “visit” and “lap,” putting his paws or head on someone...