Quinn, a trained facility dog, is now working with Gateway Regional Victim Services. (Twitter/Saskatchewan Health Authority)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Support Services

Victim services group welcomes new staff member

Sep 4, 2019 | 12:46 PM

Gateway Regional Victim Services’ (GRVS) newest employee is now on the job.

Facility Dog Quinn has been reporting for duty for around five days now at the organization’s P.A. office. Jillian Doucet, Quinn’s handler, said GRVS’s newest staff member will be a real asset.

“When there’s court prep, he can be there to help alleviate some stress and when clients are testifying in court he can also be there, because it’s a really stressful time,” she said.

To get Quinn, GRVS partnered with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA). Currently there is a three-year agreement in place between the two groups to deliver the facility dog program. GRVS provides services to people in 14 different locations including Prince Albert, Big River, Meadow Lake and Shellbrook.

Suann Laurent, chief operating officer with the SHA, said the decision to offer a facility dog program in the area came about in part as a result of the Humboldt Broncos tragedy.

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“It was felt from our first responders’ group and others that a facility dog would be helpful,” she said.

Along with the SHA and GRVS, the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and Capital GMC also provided support. In total the process to get the dog took a year and a half. While the agreement for the program is currently three years, Laurent is optimistic that it will continue beyond that time.

Before bringing Quinn into service, Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society, which is based out of Edmonton and trained Quinn, came to visit GRVS to asses what kind of dog would work best for them.

“They said he’s the class clown and always wants to lighten the mood and make people happy,” Doucet said.

After Quinn was selected for the role, Doucet travelled to Edmonton in the middle of August to train as a handler. The training period involved learning how to manage the dog in public along with commands and practice drills. Doucet said there was lots to learn over one week and they are still working on some things, but that overall it went well.

“A lot of the trainers made the comment that they’d never seen a dog bond so quickly with somebody,” she said.

Dogs with Wings will be providing support to Quinn and GRVS throughout his career. According to Doucet, facility dogs generally work until they are seven or eight years old. Quinn is currently two.

Quinn has not yet been called into service, but he and his trainer are ready if called upon. While he has not yet been called to work at his new job yet, Doucet has seen what he can do.

“I’ve seen him with people that are upset and as soon as they pet him, he’ll lick their face and he just wants people to be happy,” she said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn