Press Release — Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office
COEUR d’ALENE, Idaho — Rocket, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office therapy dog, has been nominated for the First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award in an annual contest hosted by the national behavioral health provider FHE Health. Voting will open to the public on November 25 and continues through December 4.
The winning dog and handler will receive the following:
- A $2000 check in support of their work from FHE Health.
- A gift basket from the online pet retailer Chewy.
- A feature blog that reaches more than 100,000 people on social media and a press release announcing their news.
- A $2,500 donation made in their honor to FHE Health’s partner organization, First Responders Pack Foundation, which exists to train more therapy dogs for first responders.
Therapy dog Rocket works with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, serving first responders in North Idaho, as well as the surrounding community. He is a certified therapy dog, through First Responder Therapy Dogs and a member of the Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit and Peer Support Team, providing emotional support to our staff. Rocket joined the agency after his handler, a Chaplain and the manager of the agency’s Peer Support Team, asked if they could get a therapy dog. Since then, Rocket has come alongside hundreds of deputies, fire fighters, and veterans after violent and tragic incidents; and he has sat with staff and families in the hospital and visited area schools, hospice facilities, and veterans’ homes. Rocket is AKC-registered as “Sir Rocket the Kindhearted.”
To vote for Rocket, click here or go to: https://fherehab.com/first-responder-paws-award. The only requirement is a valid email address, which will not be used for any other purpose.
For further information please contact John McSwain at (208) 446-1300 or at jmcswain@kcgov.us
