The Glendale Fire Department is celebrating its first year having a “wellness canine” whose job is to reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress.
KNX News’ Margaret Carrero reported that the golden doodle’s name is Cooper. She spoke to Karen Peltier, Cooper’s handler, about the canine.
“It's been incredible just seeing the smiles and just looking around and seeing the smiles he brings, it's amazing,” Peltier said.
She said Cooper’s job is to help firefighters who get back from difficult calls.
“He's actually getting trained on cortisol detection,” Peltier said. “So, cortisol is the stress hormone. So when you're stressed, you give up a specific odor because your cortisol is high. So he's getting trained to sense that and smell it. And so he'll be here to help when anyone's stressed.”
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Greg Fish, the Glendale Fire Department chief, said the weight carried on firefighter’s shoulders can take a toll on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. He said this makes it crucial for the department to extend its support in any way possible. One way to offer support is through this wellness canine program.
The department chose a golden doodle because of their temperament and because they’re allergy-friendly.
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