Powell River RCMP and qathet Safe have welcomed a new furry addition to the team.
According to a media release from Powell River RCMP, Serrano, a Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS) accredited justice facility dog, has joined victim services’ Christine Schreiber at the local detachment.
The release stated that Schreiber is the program coordinator for Powell River police victim services and works to support all victims of crime at the RCMP detachment, at the courthouse, and in the community.
Schreiber has worked with therapy dogs in the past and discovered the positive effects that dogs can have on people facing difficult circumstances, the release stated. Facility dogs are used to help regulate people’s emotions and have been proven to lessen the severity of trauma symptoms, according to the release.
“The presence of a dog helps to reduce anxiety and blood pressure, which, in turn, creates a more comfortable and manageable atmosphere in stressful situations,” stated Schreiber.
She applied to the PADS program in 2021, and after an intensive two-year training program, was matched with Serrano. Schreiber is excited about the addition of such an invaluable resource and truly believes that dogs just make everything better.
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