New Metro Vancouver Transit Police dog set to help with employee mental health

The newest member of the Metro Vancouver Transit Police (MVTP) dog team won’t be sniffing out potential bombs. Instead, he’s set to help with employees’ mental health.

Norquay, a three-year-old Golden Retriever Labrador mix, is an Accredited Facility Dog, meaning he will be around to support officers as they face some of the stress they see in their jobs.

“Norquay is here to help with mental wellness for transit police officers and civilian staff, so Norquay comes to work with his handler and stays in the office, and he goes about his day, he visits all the employees,” Const. Amanda Steed with the transit police explained.

Norquay, the most recent addition to the Metro Vancouver Transit Police’s team. (CityNews)

A statement from the group says he has different training than a traditional therapy dog. It adds he was bred with the purpose of being healthy and strong so he can handle the full-time job.

“Norquay was selected from amongst several incredible candidates because of his suitability for the placement. Norquay is a beautiful blend of calm, cool and collected with a dash of fun and silly; he is drawn to emotion, particularly in people who are stressed or upset. Norquay is incredibly resilient and shakes off the stress of the day really nicely; we know this will allow him to positively impact the MVTP team for many years to come,” Laura Watamanuk, the executive director of PADS, said.

Steed adds Norquay is an important part of the team, as officers combat stressful situations.

Norquay is set to help officers decompress after a hard day. (CityNews)

“Anytime there is a critical incident, sometimes police officers see and are faced with some challenging events, and during that debriefing process Norquay is available to support,” Steed explained.

“Officers attend all sorts of different calls, and sometimes with the fear of PTSD it is so important to have an accredited facility dog like Norquay who can come in and give that support in a way that doesn’t involve words, it somehow is a debriefing tool, and it allows our officers to have this calming presence and allows them to process whatever emotional event they attended that day.”

Metro Vancouver Transit Police have a new member of their team, a dog names Norquay. (CityNews)

When he’s not spending time at work, the group says Norquay loves playing a game of tug, or running in the park.

“Whether Norquay is snuggled up to you with his head in your lap after a stressful situation, or he’s having one of his famous naps at the feet of officers debriefing following a difficult incident, his calming presence and gentle manner help to ease the tension,” Steed added.