Hopkinsville Fire and EMS is dedicated to serving the people of Hopkinsville and Christian County during some of the toughest moments of their lives, and that sometimes brings a heavy emotional and mental toll. But now, thanks to a young pup with bright eyes and a playful spirit, they have some help to work through it.
HFD recently welcomed therapy dog Bear to the ranks of their staff, and Bear and his handler, Chaplain Nathan Miller, made a visit to the WHOP Thursday morning. Chaplain Miller says Bear is already doing great work with the crews, offering a friendly face that holds no judgment and a wagging tail of greeting, helping firefighters that might need help getting through a tough time.
Bear was specially trained by Freedom Service Dogs out of Denver, Colorado and he came to the department as a donation from that program. Now, Chaplain Miller says he’s helping him in his job of providing mental health services to folks who often see and experience things that can stick with you.
Bear, who is a two-year-old Labrador Retriever, has actions he can provide to help comfort, from laying his head on your knees, to leaning against you in his own version of a hug.
He can also pick things up for you if you drop them, hand his own leash to his handler, use his nose to make someone unclench their hands, he knows plenty of the standard dog commands, and he’s been trained to be at ease around children and in crowds.
Chaplain Miller says while Bear may be focused on the crews at the fire department, they consider him to be a community support dog, as he’ll be able to provide comfort at intense, hectic scenes such as natural disasters. Overall, Miller says Bear is big force for good on their team, and he’s glad to see Chief Steve Futrell and other leaders focus on mental health, as many people still struggle to speak about their worries and hardships.
Then, once Chaplain Miller and Bear go home for the day, Bear takes off his vest for the day and just be a dog, running and loving with Miller and his family.
