Gateway Regional Victim Services Facility Dog Quinn. (Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society/Facebook)

By Ian Gustafson

companion in need

Local Facility Dog helping relieve stress in northern Sask.

May 29, 2020 | 10:34 AM

Local Gateway Regional Victim Services (GRVS) Facility Dog Quinn is being recognized as a graduate from the Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society (DWW).

Quinn joined the GRVS in August 2019, and his handler Jillian Doucet told paNOW he already finished his training prior to coming to P.A. but now DWW is celebrating their 2019/20 graduates.

Three-year-old Quinn’s main responsibilities is to help relieve the stress of GRVS clients.

“He’s really good, especially working with kids because he builds that level of trust between the adults and the children and he’s a really good ice breaker,” Doucet said. “He’s been used in court as a testimonial aid, so he can sit with someone while they’re testifying in court and just to help calm them down and to help them find the courage to tell their story.”

She explained he can be used in multiple other ways including police interviews and hospital visits.

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She said since he has arrived in Prince Albert less than a year ago, he has made great strides and his level of work has been great.

“It’s just been a matter of getting the information out there that he’s available for the RCMP members to use,” she said.

GRVS serves a large span of northern Saskatchewan including 11 RCMP detachments and Quinn helps all of them in some way.

The Facility Dog had gained momentum prior to COVID-19 where he made several court appearances. Quinn returned back to work last week.

Doucet explained Quinn’s position was inspired by the need for more victim services after the Humboldt Broncos tragedy in April 2018.

Doucet has been his handler since she went to DWW in Edmonton in August 2019 to do a week training with him. DWW usually places their trained dogs within Alberta, making Quinn the first to be placed outside of the province.

“He comes to work with me, he lives with me, so I’m his primary handler,” she explained. “We’re together a lot of the time.”

Doucet added DWW starts training their dogs from when they are a puppy, Quinn was training for two and a half years before he came to P.A.

“He’s been really great, it’s amazing watching the difference that he makes in a room,” she said. “As soon as he walks into a room everybody smiles, he kind of lowers the stress level. We have had clients that made the comment that he makes them feel comfortable and safe.

“If he can help one person feel better then he’s doing a fantastic job.”

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Ian.gustafson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @iangustafson12