The Calgary Emergency Management Agency has added its first facility dog to help provide emotional support to residents and emergency personnel during disasters and other crisis situations.Minnie, a specially trained facility dog from the Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society, will work alongside CEMA staff to provide comfort to people experiencing emergencies, including displaced residents and first responders.CEMA Chief Sue Henry said Minnie's presence is intended to help reduce stress during some of the most difficult moments people face."During emergencies and disasters, people can experience a wide range of emotions, from stress and anxiety to uncertainty and fear," Henry said. "Minnie's role is to provide a sense of calm when people need it most. Even a brief interaction, whether it's petting Minnie or simply having her sit nearby, can make a meaningful difference for someone going through a difficult experience."Dogs with Wings, a not-for-profit organization that trains assistance dogs for placements across Alberta and Western Canada, spent more than two years preparing Minnie for her new role.As an accredited facility dog, Minnie has been trained to remain calm and focused in high-pressure environments. Depending on the situation, she can provide reassurance through quiet physical contact, including resting her head in someone's hand, sitting beside individuals or using other calming behaviours.When CEMA is activated during an emergency, Minnie may be deployed to reception centres to comfort people forced from their homes, provide support to staff working in the city's Emergency Operations Centre, or welcome members of Canada Task Force 2 returning from disaster deployments.Greg Loveday, chief executive officer of Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society, said Minnie's new assignment highlights the growing role assistance dogs can play in emergency response."Minnie represents the very best of what assistance dogs can offer: comfort, connection and unconditional support," Loveday said. "Knowing she will be there for people when they need it most makes us incredibly proud and is at the heart of our mission at Dogs With Wings."CEMA said it joins a growing number of emergency response organizations that use specially trained dogs to support the mental well-being of disaster victims, first responders and emergency personnel during and after crisis situations.
