Dogs help officers decompress through a new Cook County sheriff’s office initiative
Jerry Roman, a K-9 handler at the Cook County sheriff ’s office, stretched out on the floor Thursday to pet Jada, a mixed breed who is up for adoption at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center and Lurie Clinic in Little Village.
Although Roman, 46, already works with a K-9 and has three dogs at home, he’s one of the first officers who signed up to volunteer for PAWS Chicago Medical Center through the Cook County sheriff’s office’s new wellness initiative.
Officers needing to destress can volunteer to walk dogs and interact with cats. So far, 10 to 15 officers have signed up, according to Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, who said the program offers a “dual benefit” because it also provides volunteers for PAWS.
The sheriff’s office reported Thursday that volunteers from the sheriff’s office have already logged about 20 hours with the animals.
“I’m certainly not thinking about anything else that’s going on back at the office or anything like that, or anything pending,” Roman said. “Right now, you’re just enjoying. It’s a treat. It’s a break. It’s almost like having dessert the whole time.”
The PAWS Chicago Medical Center serves 25,000 pets a year, and it anticipates that number to go up this year, according to PAWS Chicago CEO Susanna Wickham.
Dogs in the hospital need about three to five walks a day, she added.
“The labor involved with just walking [dogs] and giving them attention is extreme and is something we need a lot of help with here at PAWS,” Wickham said.
Roman said everybody benefits from the initiative.
“Our jobs are stressful enough already,” he said. “[It’s good to have] these opportunities to come here and kind of forget your own stuff and giving opportunity to one of these dogs that need it.”