The Yonkers Police Department has officially welcomed two new members to its ranks, swearing in its first-ever facility dogs, Nilsen and Gator, during a ceremony held Aug. 4.
Unlike traditional police K9 officers, facility dogs are specially trained to work alongside handlers in healthcare, educational and justice settings, providing emotional support and assisting multiple people through specialized tasks.
While similar to therapy dogs, facility dogs undergo extensive training to help individuals coping with trauma, grief and other stressful situations.
From Green Haven Correctional Facility to community service in Yonkers
Nilsen and Gator, both Labrador Retrievers, were trained through Puppies Behind Bars, a nonprofit organization that partners with correctional facilities to raise service and therapy dogs.
The program lasts between 18 and 24 months, beginning when the puppies are just 8 weeks old. During that time, incarcerated individuals are responsible for raising, training and caring for the dogs before they are paired with their permanent handlers.
Gator has been assigned to Officer Genesis Vasquez of the Yonkers Police Department’s Domestic Violence Unit, while Nilsen will work alongside Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza.
Nilsen and Gator know more than 60 commands, ranging from practical working tasks to behaviors intended to comfort and engage people. They are trained to visit schools, hospitals, courtrooms and other public spaces, where they can help ease anxiety and provide emotional support.
Their training differs significantly from that of police K9s. In fact, the facility dogs are trained not to bark, allowing them to remain calm in sensitive environments where reassurance is their primary role.
Before bringing the dogs to Yonkers, Vasquez and Sapienza underwent their own training with Gator and Nilsen. They spent two weeks at Green Haven Correctional Facility working alongside trainers and their future partners.
The training included a series of public access tests designed to ensure the dogs could remain calm and focused in busy environments, including navigating TSA security at an airport, visiting a children’s center and interacting with people in a variety of public settings.
The experience, Sapienza said, left a lasting impression.
“These dogs are emissaries of joy,” Sapienza said. “What I didn’t expect from this program is how it transformed my life in such a short amount of time.”
Bringing comfort, building bridges
As a member of the department’s Domestic Violence Unit, Vasquez said she often works with victims on what may be the worst day of their lives. She believes Gator’s presence will provide comfort that extends beyond words.
“I think these dogs offer unconditional love that you can’t explain, so who wouldn’t love to pet a cute puppy?” Vasquez said. “That would brighten anybody’s day, and I feel like it’s going to be very beneficial. They provide a lot of emotional support.”
Detective Lt. Frank DiDomizio, the department’s public information officer, said the dogs’ impact will extend beyond crime victims to officers, city employees and community members who may simply need a moment of comfort.
“They’re there to help people, and whether the person that they’re helping is an officer, someone in the community experiencing grief, someone just walking down the hall at City Hall or just having a bad day,” DiDomizio said. “The dogs are there to help people.”
Gloria Gilbert Stoga, founder of Puppies Behind Bars, said facility dogs can also help change the way people interact with law enforcement.
“The police officer with a Labrador Retriever is approachable. People aren’t really afraid of Labrador Retrievers,” Gilbert Stoga said. “It sets everybody up for success … the police officers are more approachable.”
She said the dogs not only help residents feel more comfortable approaching officers but also provide emotional support to first responders who have experienced traumatic events.
“Our dogs play multiple roles in helping communities come together,” Gilbert Stoga said.
(This story was updated to correct the spelling of a name.)
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Meet Nilson and Gator, Yonkers PD’s newest K9 ’emissaries of joy’
Reporting by Michelle Grisales, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Michelle Grisales, Rockland/Westchester Journal News | USA TODAY Network
