The Campbell Police Department is excited to welcome the addition of our first therapy dog and announce the first program of its kind for a law enforcement agency in Santa Clara County.
On December 10, 2020, K9 Ainsley, an 8-week-old Bernedoodle, joined the police department as the first therapy dog of our K9 program. K9 Ainsley, named after the historic Campbell family, has been assigned to partner with one of the departments’ Records Specialists and they both promptly began training. Therapy dogs are meticulously trained to encompass specific skills and characteristics to help calm taxing emotions and stressful situations. While much of K9 Ainsley’s training at this early stage will consist of acclimating to her new home and handler, she has already lightened the mood inside the police department.
Adding a therapy dog to our K9 program has been a goal of the Campbell Police Department for several years. The department sees the importance of employee wellness and community engagement, especially during these challenging times. Therapy dogs have been proven to help individuals cope with stress and exposure to traumatic incidents. Therapy dogs can significantly reduce heightened short-term anxiety following a critical incident for department employees, victims, and witnesses.
In addition to providing mental and emotional wellness benefits, K9 Ainsley will be a tremendous ambassador for our department. Chief Gary Berg said, “as an agency that embraces community engagement, we believe K9 Ainsley will be a beneficial tool for establishing stronger relationships with our diverse population. K9 Ainsley will be able to serve our community in a multitude of ways by supporting our staff, comforting victims and witnesses, visiting schools, and much more.” The Therapy Dog Program will assist in creating more opportunities for community involvement and collaboration.
K9 Ainsley is the first Therapy Dog at a law enforcement agency in Santa Clara County. This addition would not have been possible without the continued support of the Campbell Police Foundation. The Foundation donated funds to purchase Ainsley and for the initial therapy dog certification training. “These are trying times for all in our community,” Chief Gary Berg expressed. “We appreciate the generous donations to the foundation from community members that have allowed us to bring this important program to our employees and the public.”
The Campbell Police Department looks forward to the further development of this program and the impact it will make on not only the department but the entire Campbell community.
