HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – The Hays County Sheriff’s Office recently recruited its first therapy dog.
Mirko, the therapy dog, is part of HCSO’s Mental Health Unit. He will be deployed to help some going through mental health crises calm down, said Mohmmad Zaqzouq, a deputy with HCSO.
“You can notice the difference in demeanor when a dog approaches somebody who enjoys dogs,” Zaqzouq said. “In the mental health Unit and the therapy canine program, we’re really just trying to bridge that gap and show people that we are trying to get them help.”
Therapy dogs can also attend sensitive interviews with victims to help them relax, he said.
Zaqzouq is Mirko’s owner and handler. He said he pitched the idea of having a therapy dog in HCSO.
“I figured [Mirko] would be a great candidate for the therapy canine program. Has a very calm temperament, very well trained,” he said.
To become a certified therapy dog, Mirko had to go through training to ensure he could stay cool in stressful situations.
While he’s only been on the job a few weeks, Zaqzouq said Mirko has already made an impact. He described a scenario where someone was experiencing suicidal ideation. Zaqzouq asked the person if they liked dogs. When they said they did, Zaqzouq brought out Mirko.
“Mirko helped build rapport with [the person] and me,” Zaqzouq said “It allowed our trust to be solid, which inevitably allowed them to be very comfortable with me.”
Zaqzouq said dogs make a great partners in these tense and delicate scenarios.
“[Dogs] have no judgment towards anybody or anything – no political views, no religious views, no cultural beliefs. There’s nothing holding back the relationship between a person and a pet,” he said.