After seventh-grader Alex Mackiewicz in Highlands Ranch was killed by a driver who ran a red light, Master Officer Tom O’Donnell responded to the call. He didn’t show up at the intersection where Mackiewicz had been riding his “onewheel” scooter. Instead, he went to Mountain Ridge Middle School to console students and staff. And, he brought along his new partner, Buddy, an eight-month-old English labrador.
Students and staff at the school stroked Buddy’s soft fur, gave him hugs, and let him ease a hard day in a way that no human could.
“He was a very big help,” O’Donnell said of his partner. “One girl who was petting him said he took her grief away for a moment.”
Gone are the days when police dogs were only used for searching and apprehending suspects.
Castle Rock Police Department is pioneering the development of a therapy dog program, and Buddy is Colorado’s first canine community response team member.
He joined in December, teaming up with O’Donnell and a clinician. Their mission: help people facing traumatic events, like the death of a beloved classmate, and work to provide comfort during mental health crises.
O’Donnell said Buddy has been crucial to providing de-escalation and emotional regulation assistance on scene. De-escalation aims to quiet tensions and calm emotions.
“They take de-escalation from 15 minutes to 15 seconds,” O’Donnell said.
O’Donnell and Buddy aren’t alone. They’re the fourth team in the therapy dog program in Castle Rock, which started in spring 2021. Castle Rock was the first department in Colorado to permanently pair a therapy dog with a school resource officer. Before O’Donnell and Buddy, Castle Rock Master Officer Scott Gillespie was paired with Buttercup, a golden retriever mix.
“She set the tone for the state,” Gillespie said. “Overnight, she was a sensation. The interventions were beyond anything we had hoped from a mental health lens.”
Gillespie said Buttercup’s success at the schools led the therapy dog program to expand to other departments in Castle Rock.
“We’ve now seen it hundreds of times where we see a change and can’t figure where it came from except for the interaction with the dog,” he said.
The dogs are trained to maintain a calm demeanor and provide a stable presence. They are certified through the American Kennel Club, a national therapy dog organization, and as service animals.
In addition to Gillespie and Buttercup, Officer David Knight and Ru, a husky mix, are assigned to Castle Rock Middle School and Master Officer Luke Godfrey and Rocket, also a husky mix, work at Mesa Middle School.
“Having the dog brings people in and lets them see us as human beings instead of a badge,” Knight said.
Gillespie said the therapy dogs have had over 100,000 interactions with community members, students and school staff since the program began.
One of the biggest benefits the officers see from partnering with pups is that the dogs act as a bridge to overcome barriers like police stigma, mistrust, fear and anger.
“People’s eyes light up when they see the dog, it really makes the uniform disappear,” O’Donnell said.
The dogs also assist with the county’s victim advocate program and provide emotional support to police staff during a difficult case or stressful day. Gillespie said the department is even considering a permanent therapy dog for the building.
“These dogs are meant to make you smile,” Gillespie said.
Castle Rock’s therapy dog program is getting noticed across the country and the officers and canines have traveled all over to help other departments create their own programs.
“I think one of the big hopes in launching ahead of the curve is that we’ll influence the trend across the state, especially when it comes to mental health,” Gillespie said.