Calgary’s Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) has added a tail-wagging member to its response team this week.

In partnership with the Dogs with Wings society, Minnie, a two-year-old golden Labrador retriever, will provide comfort and reassurance to people in distress and emergency staff during crises.

Sue Henry, chief of CEMA, said Dogs with Wings specially trained Minnie to support people and reduce anxiety during disasters using affection.

“She’s trained to provide quiet physical contact, such as resting her face in someone’s hand, sitting close by, or using other grounding behaviours.”

Minnie will support the city by working in reception centres with evacuees from stressful situations. Alongside helping citizens in emergencies, she assists in stress relief, comfort and reassurance for emergency operations staff working long hours and members of Canada Task Force 2 after they return from crisis deployments, offering physical contact and affection to those in distress.

Chihiro Webb, a representative from Dogs with Wings said Minnie completed over two years of training, learning all the skills she needs to support people.  

“Minnie can’t change the emergency, but she can change the way somebody experiences it.”

Graduated and ready to help

Dogs With Wings is an assistance dog organization with programs meant to provide support through highly trained assistance dogs. This year, the organization will be celebrating 30 years in business. After working hard to train Minnie, the organization has equipped her to support people in a variety of different ways. 

Henry said Minnie will be an amazing addition to the CEMA team, noting the commitment to supporting the overall well-being of Calgarians and emergency operations staff. 

“We’re incredibly grateful to Dogs with Wings for entrusting Minnie to our team, and we look forward to the positive impact that she will have in the years ahead,” she said.

“I’d like to officially welcome Minnie to the team by presenting her with her CEMA badge.”

Supporting those on the front lines

When people encounter emotionally charged situations, it can take a toll on their mental health whether they’re encountering it from a service standpoint or experiencing it themselves. According to Henry, Minnie has already made an impact. 

“She’s supported some of our 911 emergency communications officers when they’ve taken a difficult call,” she said. 

CEMA enacted the program to prioritize the best interests of everyone involved with the organization. After relying on assistance dogs from partner agencies such as the Calgary Police Service, having a support dog of their own was warranted.

Given the stress-filled nature of the job, Henry has already seen great success with having Minnie around.

“I’m incredibly passionate about the mental health of our staff,” she said.

“We’re seeing an incredible response from our staff members that are interacting with her, and really appreciating how she’s able to calm and ground everything,” she said.

According to Webb, Minnie is the perfect match for service at CEMA.

“She strikes a beautiful balance between calm, kind, empathetic, very cuddly, but also very driven,” she said.

“Minnie would make a really positive difference in people being excited to come to work, even during the most difficult times.”

As employees and people in distress encounter Minnie during tough times, Webb said she hopes they can look back at the situation focusing on the relief Minnie brought them, rather than the turmoil they may face otherwise. 

“I hope that Minnie is something they can look back on and smile because they remember how she helped them through those moments,” she said.