National Dog Day: Pups Who are Part of the City of Virginia Beach Team

Today, National Dog Day, is a doggone perfect day to share about some of our teams that work with dogs. These well-trained K-9s work alongside our employees to support them and help get the job done.

EMS Therapy Dogs  

In February 2023, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) established a Therapy Dog Program to help with mental health resiliency. The program, created by career medic Taylor Jones (pictured above), has grown to include 13 dogs that visit EMS personnel and local hospital staff. Running the program involves creating a schedule of resiliency shifts, building relationships with the dogs' owners, and requesting therapy dog visits after high-stress response calls.  

Police K9 Unit

In the Virginia Beach Police Department, dogs and handlers in the K-9 unit support patrol officers and respond to critical incidents, including burglaries, missing persons, and any case with a request to track local suspects, articles or evidence. On their team of 14 patrol dog handlers, five K-9s and handlers are cross-trained in explosives, three in narcotics, and three deploy on all SWAT team calls.  

Police Comfort Dogs

Comfort dogs serve a vital role in improving officer well-being by helping reduce the long-term effects of trauma and stress. In 2021, an English Labrador named Geo (“Gigi”) and a golden retriever named Simba were sworn in as law enforcement officers, making them official members of the department. Their handlers are two master police officers who also serve as comfort dog facilitators.

We’re fortunate to have these furry friends who play an important role in serving our workforce and the community.

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