You're not alone: How an Airdrie, Alta. dog comforts people in stressful situations

When he's not busy offering comfort and solace to individuals dealing with traumatic events, Jake likes to head out on a long walk, goof off, and steal vegetables from the garden when no one is looking.

Jake is a seven-year-old Labrador who has been working as a service dog for over three years in Airdrie, Alta. 

"He has a vest that he wears, a working vest that identifies him as a service dog," said Deborah Reid, the executive director of the Airdrie and District Victim Assistance Society (ADVAS) in an interview on The Homestretch.

"When he's wearing the vest, he knows that he's in work mode, but when he's not working, he's just your regular dog," she added.

ADVAS works in partnership with the RCMP to assist survivors of crime and tragedy by connecting them with counseling services, distress centers, shelters, court support services, and more.

Jake has been trained to assist witnesses testifying in court by sitting close to their feet or even putting his head on someone's lap when possible.

"He is there just to make that person feel less alone," Reid said before explaining that Jake comforts people in vulnerable situations without ever "getting in the way" or interrupting them.

Reid, who is also Jake's handler, said that the black labrador is rather intuitive and can "sense when somebody is in crisis."

He works mostly with children but also helps adults in need by comforting them with his silent and reassuring presence.

"The more agitated or more upset the person becomes, the more he will try to comfort them," Reid said. "He'll just come and sit by you or he'll nudge you with his nose, you know, he'll kind of boop you."

LISTEN | Deborah Reid talks about Jake:

Jake stays with Reid's family and has an impressive track record — no one has ever turned down his services and most people are glad to be around him. Reid and her team always ask for consent and explain how Jake can help someone cope with a difficult situation before bringing him in.

Jake helps many individuals in need, ranging from police officers going through a particularly difficult day at work to survivors of sexual assault who need moral support while getting their medical examinations done. 

"Sometimes, he just, he knows he can [help]," Reid said. "He's got this wonderful sense about him that he can just tell when somebody needs [his support]."

The Lions Foundation of Canada trained Jake before he was chosen to work with ADVAS. The non-profit organization has several programs on offer, including a facility support dog guide program that focuses on training dogs "to provide on-scene support" to professional agencies that support vulnerable individuals.

"We breed dogs that are specifically designed to be good working dogs," said Maria Galindo, communications manager with the Lions Foundation. She added that foster families look after the dogs when they are around eight weeks old and train them on things like "basic obedience and socialization."

The dogs head back to the organization when they reach the 14-month mark.

"At that point, we see which program is the best fit," Galindo said. "For facility support … they are matched with a professional agency that will help, you know, hundreds and hundreds of people that are dealing with traumatic situations."

According to Reid, Jake was "originally trained" in support but was taught to tackle trauma during his transition into a police setting.

Fun fact — it took Reid and her team five years to get matched with Jake after they started the application process.

"They had to make sure that the environment that the dog was coming into, that they had prepared the dog for the environment," Reid said. "And so that was one of the main reasons that it took so long."

'He's just so comfortable in his role'

For Reid, it's essential to ensure that Jake doesn't suffer negative consequences because of the job. She said that she constantly watches him to ensure he doesn't suffer on account of "absorbing all the negativity and the trauma that he sees and is exposed to."

Jake gets to "debrief" just like the rest of his colleagues after a shift. His vest is taken off and he gets the chance to grab a bite, play and take a well-deserved break.

Reid is impressed by how comforting Jake's presence can be for someone giving a statement to police officials. 

"I've actually seen the person speaking to the dog, you know, rather than speaking to the police officer because you know what they're divulging is just so incredibly painful," she said. 

However, petting Jake and watching him fall asleep helps witnesses in more ways than one — he offers comic relief in the most unexpected moments.

"I would be lying if I said we haven't heard him snoring a couple of times on the witness stand," Reid said. "He's just so comfortable in his role."