Therapy puppy soothing first responders following traumatic summer
By Jason Rantala
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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — It’s been a tough few months for Hennepin EMS in Minneapolis. Responders have seen multiple mass casualty incidents, including the deadly shooting seven weeks ago at Annunciation Catholic Church.
But now, a new four-legged member of the team is bringing comfort in the wake of tragedy.
Rigsby, a 4-month-old English Springer Spaniel, has been a valuable member of the Hennepin EMS team for two months now.
They got Rigsby through Soldier’s 6, a nonprofit that provides service and therapy dogs to military veterans, first responders and those with PTSD.
Rigby comes to work everyday with his handler, Mary Welch, who says he’s one of the most calm puppies she’s ever dealt with. He’s been a huge support for a lot of the staff, she says, and she sees it on their faces everyday.
One of Rigsby’s first weeks was during the Annunciation shooting, where his presence was crucial.
“We were able to see people who experienced one of the worst things they will probably experience in their career, and Rigsby brought a little bit of joy to their day,” said Welch, Hennepin EMS’s deputy chief of staff.
Tom Sweeny is a trainer with Soldier’s 6.
“A lot of people, they have dogs and they come home from their long day at work, they sit down on the couch, dog jumps up with them and it calms them down. It lowers the heart rate,” Sweeny said.
Soldier’s 6 gives therapy dogs to honorably discharged veterans, police officers, firefighters, paramedics, correctional officers and 911 dispatchers.
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