How Leo the therapy dog came to join the SFPD

A story that Officer Dustin Jorgensen heard at a conference on the well-being of police officers struck him with such poignancy he found himself blinking back tears.

The speaker had been talking about how important therapy dogs can be to begin healing after stressful situations. In this instance, two police officers had been killed. The department’s therapy dogs, trained to spend five to 10 seconds with each person, were brought to the hospital.

“The handler talked about his dog, Piper, and how he crawled in the lap of a widow and stayed for an hour,” Jorgensen said. “He knew the widow needed that attention more than anyone else. They can sense when something is wrong and someone needs support.”

Jorgensen left the conference convinced that a therapy dog would benefit those who work with the Sioux Falls Police Department. Such a dog, unlike the five other canines with the department, also will be able to interact with the public at events such as Coffee With a Cop, National Night Out and neighborhood block parties.

“I was very passionate about getting this program up and running,” Jorgensen said. “(This would) be huge for officers and the community, a dog that can be petted. Other canine handlers can’t allow that.”

When Jorgensen, a member of the SFPD’s Wellness Committee, proposed adding a therapy dog for the department, he found others shared his enthusiasm.

“We put together a presentation, and I presented it to command staff,” Jorgensen said. “They loved the idea. They said find us something local that we can use to get this program up and running.”

It took some time, but in late April, Police Chief Jon Thum introduced Leo, a golden retriever, to the community. Leo, who was born Jan. 18, will join the department officially after his first birthday and after he passes tests to determine that he has been properly trained.

That responsibility has been placed in the hands of experienced dog trainer Maggie Pearson. She started her business, Tenacious Dog Training, in 2019 but has been training dogs “pretty much my whole life,” including offering group classes since 2015. Pearson also has her own dogs that do therapy work. Gracie started in 2015. Rlo passed his test just this year.

Leo has the right personality to be a therapy dog, Pearson said.

“He is a very confident, laid-back, lower-drive puppy,” she said. “He is just very go with the flow. He loves being the center of attention and getting all the pets. We definitely wanted a very confident dog that can handle the pressure. They smell our stress hormones; they smell that cortisol. Leo will be greeting a lot of people, and we want a dog that enjoys pressure. We put the animal’s welfare first and foremost.”

A therapy dog is born, not created, Pearson said. Each dog has its own love language — some love having strangers pet them; others become fearful.

A fully trained therapy dog can cost $15,000 to $30,000, according to the National Service Dog Registry. Archwind Retrievers of Belle Plaine, Minnesota, sold Leo to the SFPD — for $1. The support and generosity of Archwind Retrievers and Tenacious Dog Training made launching the program possible, according to the SFPD.

Sgt. Eric Meyer, who supervises the SFPD’s school resource officers, has been chosen to be Leo’s handler, Jorgensen said. Leo will stay at Meyer’s home and come to work with him. Meyer also will bring Leo to the police station in the aftermath of critical incidents when a police office can use comfort.

“Studies show that when you pet a dog, it does lower your blood pressure and your pulse rate, and it does help with emotions,” Pearson said.

At the police briefing where Leo was introduced, Thum emphasized Leo’s dual purpose: helping officers in a stressful situation and serving as outreach for the department.

“Law enforcement is a demanding profession, and we’re always looking for new ways to provide support to our officers and the people and the victims we work with,” he said. “But also, we look for ways to do outreach and really connect with the community. We know that sometimes animals can break down barriers and really build relationships.”

“I’m really grateful for the department and our leadership taking a stand for officer well-being and mental health,” Jorgensen said. “Chief Thum is a big advocate.”

At the police briefing, Thum also explained how Leo’s name was chosen. It has two meanings, he said. One is as an acronym for law enforcement officer. The other reason: “Leo” comes from Latin for brave and lionhearted.

“That resonated,” he said.

Jorgensen, who works as a patrol officer on shifts that run from 1 to 11 p.m. has two Labradors that he calls his unofficial therapy dogs. Some of the younger officers live in apartments and can’t have pets, he said. Leo will be a good source of therapy on even the less-stressful days.

Until then, Pearson will continue to work with Leo. They have three to four brief training sessions daily, but essentially the puppy is learning what will be expected of him every minute he interacts with others.

Pearson also is learning. One of her mentors connected her with an FBI agent in Washington, D.C., who also has a therapy dog named Leo.

“We’re modeling this program after what they do,” she said. “We’re not reinventing the wheel; we’re following the best practices of someone else doing this.”