Zeke, the official therapy dog of the department, has successfully completed 24 weeks of obedience training and is certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. The international therapy dog organization provides testing and certification for therapy dog teams and requires obedience testing, veterinarian certification and observation from trained examiners in various settings.
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| Zeke, the new Wayne Police Department certified All expenses for Zeke are paid by Police Chief Ryan Strong. |
“Although everyone here at the Wayne Police Department loves this profession, law enforcement is extremely stressful. We are exposed to constant trauma over our careers - people at their worst, murders, horrific traffic crashes, etc. Zeke will be there to reduce stress for officers and other staff. Zeke is part of a larger officer wellness initiative the Wayne Police Department began earlier this year. The healthier the police department is, the better we are able to serve the public,” notes a posting on the page.
The dog is also available to help ease the stress of crime victims who visit the police station and officers said that Zeke will soon be seen in public as he may accompany officers to various public appearances. The public is welcome to visit the newest member of the force at the police station, according to the
Zeke has already been visited by several members of the community and has expressed his “thanks” for all the attention on the police page where he also notified the public that he “saw a squirrel today.”
