Current:Home > MyHe failed as a service dog. But that didn't stop him from joining the police force -BeyondProfit Compass
He failed as a service dog. But that didn't stop him from joining the police force
View
Date:2025-04-14 08:33:51
Licorice is somewhat of a failure.
Anyone who meets the gentle, obedient boy would never call him that. He just so happened to fail his test to become a service dog. But this "failure" allowed him to improve officers' lives at the Blue Ash Police Department near Cincinnati, Ohio.
The 7-year-old phantom golden doodle is one of a handful of therapy dogs in regional police departments. Licorice became one of the first in the county about 3.5 years ago, said his owner, Captain Roger Pohlman, assistant chief for Blue Ash Police. The uptick in police therapy dogs is part of an increased focus on officer mental health.
"I've been doing this for 26 years," said Pohlman. "If you would've said that we had a therapy dog back then, people would've laughed at you."
But times are changing.
Officer Licorice joins the police department
Police officers are the first to be called when anyone dies. They respond to murders, stabbings and gory manufacturing incidents. They see kids, around the same age as their own kids, die.
For a long time, the unspoken order was to deal with this trauma alone. "To suck it up," said Pohlman.
Licorice challenges this narrative. The black-hued pup offers comfort to officers just by being present. Anyone who has a dog can likely imagine this. But science backs it up. Studies show that petting a dog lowers blood pressure.
Licorice started going to work with Pohlman kind of by chance. The Pohlman family adopted Licorice because they wanted a dog and Pohlman's wife, Christine, wanted to bring the dog to work with her as a reading intervention specialist for Mason schools. Research has shown kids' reading ability improves when they read to dogs.
The family picked up Licorice when he was 1.5 years old from 4Paws for Ability, a service dog organization based in Xenia, Ohio. The organization calls Licorice a "fabulous flunky," a dog who didn't pass the training to become a service dog and is eligible to be a family pet.
Pohlman was told Licorice failed because of "suspicious barking." Service dogs are trained to only bark in cases of emergency, like if their owner is having a seizure. If a dog barks at inappropriate times, the dog can't be a service dog.
Licorice's previous obedience training made him a perfect therapy dog.
He spent some time with Christine at Mason schools, until the district got their own therapy dogs. Licorice then spent more time with Pohlman at the office. The initial plan wasn't for him to be a therapy dog for the department, but he fit perfectly into the role.
Now, officers expect Licorice to be at the Blue Ash Police Department daily. Pohlman said, "They're disappointed if not."
Licorice provides 'a calming force'
Society has seen a greater openness to conversations around mental health in the last decade. This destigmatization made its way to police departments. Pohlman said he's noticed a change in the last four or five years.
Blue Ash police officers are encouraged to exercise while on duty. Mental health professionals and trained police officers provide debriefing sessions for the Blue Ash officers after traumatic events. One of the continuing education courses Pohlman has to take is about officer wellness.
Therapy dogs play a large role in this wellness, too. In Ohio, the Cincinnati Police Department, State Highway Patrol and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office all have therapy dogs.
Dogs like Licorice provide a "calming force" to the office, Pohlman said. Licorice spends his days traveling around the Blue Ash municipal building, where the police department is located, visiting his human friends.
Officers' faces light up when they see him. Many give him a loving pat on the head.
He will go with Pohlman to visit dementia patients or to events at Sycamore Schools. He acts as an "icebreaker" between police and whoever they meet with during their day-to-day duties. Licorice makes police officers more approachable. His job is to make people happy.
No doubt, he's good at it.
veryGood! (66853)
Related
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- Man who escaped Hawaii jail and was struck by a vehicle dies from his injuries
- The Most-Shopped Celeb Recommendations This Month: Jennifer Lopez, Kyle Richards, Chrishell Stause & More
- Georgia House approves new election rules that could impact 2024 presidential contest
- NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
- Baltimore bridge collapse is port's version of global pandemic: It's almost scary how quiet it is
- Daphne Joy, ex-girlfriend of 50 Cent, denies working for Diddy as sex worker after lawsuit
- Republican-backed budget bill with increased K-12 funding sent to Kentucky’s Democratic governor
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- How CLFCOIN Breaks Out as the Crypto Market Breaks Down
Ranking
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- I screamed a little bit: Virginia woman wins $3 million with weeks-old Mega Millions ticket
- Ex-Caltrain employee and contractor charged with building secret homes with public funds
- Author of children's book about grief hit with another attempted murder charge in death of husband
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Lawmakers seek to prop up Delaware medical marijuana industry after legalizing recreational use
- Families of victims in Baltimore bridge collapse speak out: Tremendous agony
- Tyler O'Neill sets MLB record with home run on fifth straight Opening Day
Recommendation
Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
North Carolina military affairs secretary stepping down, with ex-legislator as successor
ASTRO COIN:The bull market history of bitcoin under the mechanism of halving
The Bachelor's Kelsey Anderson Explains How That Limo Moment Went Down
A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
Florida latest state to target squatters after DeSantis signs 'Property Rights' law
As homeless crisis grows, states and cities are turning to voters for affordable housing
Federal court reinstates lines for South Carolina congressional district despite racial gerrymander ruling