By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor
On Jan. 14, Pennsauken Police introduced the newest four-legged member of the department: K9 West, a puppy that will be trained as a community engagement and crisis response service dog.
“Today officially marks our first step in having our crisis response K9 team,” said Pennsauken Police Chief Philip Olivo. “The Pennsauken Township Police Department recognizes how important mental health and wellbeing is. We also recognize how critical incidents can have a detrimental effect on the mental wellness of our officers, other first responders and the members of the community.”
“I’d like to welcome K9 West here to Pennsauken. We’re so excited to have him here,” said Pennsauken Mayor Nicole Roberts. “We know he’s going to be a tremendous help to our community when he’s all trained.”
Donated by Hero Academy, the industry leader in the education and training of service and therapy dogs for law enforcement and veterans, West is named in memory of Lance Corporal Jeromy D. West, USMC, who died November 25, 2006, serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“Our mission statement really is to provide facility and service dogs to aid the ill and injured and to be able to make this a prototype to help other agencies get this kind of resource,” explained Danique Masingill, executive director for the Hero Academy.
“Once K9 West is fully through training, he will be certified as a community resource K9 to be able to provide mental health for our first responders and also for the community, to work in our schools and with anyone who may be experiencing emotions after a traumatic event,” added Andrea Hering, co-founder and president of Crisis Response Canines, a partnering organization with the Hero Academy. “We’re really excited to be a part of this.”
In addition to being certified as a crisis response canine, K9 West, who was born October 2024, is currently receiving a year’s worth of training from Alpha & Omega Working Dogs in Moorestown, N.J. Owner and founder Ray Harris and his team are hard at work, reinforcing positive behaviors so that the Labrador Retriever can seamlessly interact with the community.
Sgt. Craig Adair is K9 West’s partner and Pennsauken Police’s newest team are already working closely together in their new roles. In charge of the department’s community policing unit and a former K9 officer, Adair is appreciative of the support he’s received to make this program possible.
“I would like to thank Captain May, who came with me to that first meeting with Alpha and Omega and Crisis Response Canines to get the ball rolling, and for Chief Olivo to have his trust in me to be the one to start this for our department,” said Sgt. Adair. “It wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our administration and my fellow officers. Also, a very special thank you to The Hero Academy. They’ve been wonderful through this whole process. We’re going to get to do a lot of great things with K9 West.”
