The Fairfield Police Department is pleased to introduce our community to “K-9 Maddox.” Maddox is a new member of the FPD Peer Support and Wellness Team and is the department's first dedicated Team Dog. He has been taught a variety of skills to help our dispatchers and officers decompress after stressful situations or calls.
Maddox will also use his skills to assist crime victims and those affected by disasters, such as floods and fires.
Maddox is handled by Dispatch Supervisor, Gaby Lopez. During Gaby's training with the National Institute of Canine Service & Training's (NICST) First Response K-9's Program, she completed over 40 hours of hands-on instruction. As part of his "work" duties, Maddox will assist Gaby in the dispatch center, keeping things calm in a sometimes-chaotic workplace.
Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) of San Rafael, California raised Maddox to become a guide dog. Dogs that are not suited for guide work are generously repurposed for use by organizations such as NICST to be trained in their programs. FPD received Maddox free of charge from NICST.
“Thanks to the efforts of First Response K-9’s, GDB, and all the volunteers, Maddox is with FPD today. We are deeply grateful and will now be prepared to provide much needed peer and community support after a traumatic event," said Chief Deanna Cantrell.
"Maddox is a big love bug so he truly found his calling in life," according to NICST President Mark Ruefenacht. “At first he was nervous when he heard a siren, but now he gets so excited and happy to work.”
You can catch Maddox and Gaby at various community events, so be sure to say hello when you see them! The FPD Team Dog program will be announcing more exciting news soon!
https://OurDogsSaveLives.org
National Institute of Canine Service and Training is 501(c)(3)
Contact Information:
Mary Hooker, First Response K-9’s Program Manager
[email protected]
Mark Ruefenacht
[email protected]
