Courage Service Dogs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 by Lisa Burkett. Our mission is to support the mental health of local first responders as they work to protect and serve our communities. Public safety workers such as police officers and firefighters face daily exposure to various stressful situations. These experiences can lead to depression, anxiety, trauma symptoms and
even PTSD. Because these mental health difficulties can build over time the symptoms may be overlooked until they become debilitating. Our organization is committed to addressing these symptoms as they arise to prevent that build-up of stress. Courage Service Dog’s unique Emergency Responder Station Dogs program is set up to accomplish this immense goal. Our dogs are specially trained in trauma tasks, which they use to offset the stress first responders acquire on the job. The pups work weekly shifts at local police and fire departments, where they spend the day. They use their intuitive nature to seek out those who might need extra attention during their workday. This could be a quick game of fetch down the hall, a walk outside or a quick visit to an individual office. It is incredible what just a nuzzle or a paw on the leg can do to help take the edge off a stressful day. Since 2013, Courage Service Dogs has had an ongoing partnership with local fire and police departments. We are excited to be moving away from our prior Mental Health Clinical model and into our newly restructured station dog program. Other projects of our organization include assisting with the development of a 24-hour, in-station therapy dog program and educating the public about the special concerns of first responders dealing with stress and other mental health issues.
