By now you’ve seen some PAWsome footage of Jimmy hitting his paws on the ground running—literally—with his biped peers but we wanted to share a little more information about the latest @lvmpd recruit.
Jimmy is an F1 English Standard Goldendoodle born on March 31, 2022. Currently, he’s around 70 pounds of goofiness and pure love.
He was born in Pahrump, NV to the great folks at 4E Kennels. He is a graduate of their Healing Hearts program. Jimmy was sponsored by the Engelstad Foundation to be placed specifically with LVMPD as part of an initiative to improve employee mental wellness.
His official position is Peer Support Dog and he works alongside employees assigned to @lvmpd_peap Peer Support division of the LVMPD Employee Health and Wellness Bureau.
Research has shown, employees working as first responders and support staff, can experience extreme stress, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and suicidal impulses. The use of Peer Support dogs has demonstrated: (1) reduced stress and anxiety; (2) lowered blood pressure and slower breathing; (3) improved overall mental state; and (4)increased productivity.
As part of his duties, Jimmy will make appearances in crisis situations to ensure our employees have a warm, welcomed distraction to help them get the care they need. He will visit employees and their family members in healthcare facilities and make his rounds visiting area commands and department bureaus.
Be on the look out because Jimmy could be making a surprise appearance and demanding belly scratches at an area command near you—soon!
