In September, the University of Oregon Police Department added a second furry friend to the force.
Daisy, a one-year-old comfort and therapy dog, began working with Officer Rebekah Galick in June and officially joined the force earlier this term.
“Daisy is just a fun-loving dog. She wants to meet everybody and every animal that she comes in contact with. She just is always interested in what people are doing, what’s going on and she just wants to be part of it all,” Galick said.
Daisy’s main job on campus is to provide comfort during difficult situations, whether it’s for someone having a rough day or responding with Galick to calls.
“Whenever we respond to calls, there’s typically a witness and there’s a victim, so when we’re getting statements from people, (it) sometimes can be re-traumatizing as you’re reliving that to give information to an officer – so she can be there to support someone through that,” Galick said. “If there is something a little more serious, where someone is having maybe a mental health crisis, she can be there to help support them too.”
According to Galick, the idea of a comfort K-9 is a “newer concept” that she jumped at the opportunity to take when it became available.
“When I heard about the whole idea behind it and the ways that she can be utilized, I really loved the idea, and when I met her, I (was like) ‘okay, I’m putting in for this, I definitely see myself doing something with this role,’” Galick said.
Daisy, a black Labrador golden retriever mix, came to UOPD through a nonprofit organization called Working Dogs Oregon, which trains dogs to provide services to law enforcement, fire departments, veterans and people in need.
Daisy received formalized training through the nonprofit, but will continue to train with Galick
in the coming months.
“We are actually, just her and I, going to go through another formalized training just because there is a bond that gets created when you do the training,” Galick said.
A typical day for the pair varies depending on campus activities, with Daisy accompanying Galick on calls. According to Galick, a day isn’t complete without a game or two of fetch.
“What’s happening on campus that day dictates what we do. Sometimes there are special events that I know are occurring, and we’ve done some meet and greets to try to introduce her to our campus community so everyone knows what she’s about and knows that if they see us on campus, they can ask and say ‘hi,’” Galick said.
Galick said the campus community has “welcomed (Daisy) with open arms,” and with over 700 followers on Instagram, her celebrity status is growing.
“When I get those comments that are similar to the effect of ‘I really needed this today’ or ‘that just solved a lot of my problems,’ just a minute with Daisy and that’s why she’s here,” Galick said.
Galick encourages students and people on campus to come up to Daisy, whether they’re having a bad day or just want to say hello and pet a dog.
“We all have something every day that just occupies our minds, and we just need a mental break, and sometimes it can be ‘I’m having a rough day and I just need a dog.’”
