Indiana organization provides therapy dog to former police officer struggling with PTSD

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- An Indiana organization is helping to provide emotional relief to a former Carmel police officer by giving him a therapy dog.

According to a report by FOX 59, Teddy Gauthier spent time in the military before joining the Carmel Police Department. During his decade on the force, he was part of the SWAT team, and later became a K-9 handler.

"Unfortunately, you go through the horrible calls, and you shove the emotions down while you are there," Gauthier said. "You do it for so long, you forget how to let them go."

The daily grind of gruesome cases began to take a toll on him emotionally. Finally, he realized he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The symptoms became serious enough that he had to leave the force.

"The therapist who works with the Carmel Police Department came to me and said, 'You need to come talk to me,'" he said. "[I had] a major depressive disorder, and was super hypervigilant everywhere I went. You get good at hiding your emotions. You hide them every day of your entire life.

"I didn't have anyone to reset me. My wife does a great job, but sometimes I don't speak, and I get too far-gone. It's to the point that I decide to run away."

Hero Family Outreach is a local organization trying to help veterans and first responders deal with mental health. Their goal is to reduce suicide rates down to zero.

"One is not acceptable -- it must be zero," said Whitney Lushin, a board member at Hero Family Outreach who also works in law enforcement. "Every day we go to work, and we experience something that is not normal. That is every day, day-in and day-out."

They paid for a service dog for Gauthier. Her name is Cleo, and she was presented to Gauthier on Friday.

"Generally they are about $20,000 to $30,000 just for the dog and the training," explained Lushin. "We have been working to get Teddy a dog for well over a year."

"I'm looking forward to creating that bond with her," Gauthier said.

Over the next few weeks the dog and her training, Doug Bivens with Ultimate Canine, will work with Gauthier. The idea is to train the animal to respond to Gauthier's specific needs and emotional triggers.

"It's a distraction from everything that is going on around them," said Bivens. "We teach the dog to read their handler on their different movements, or a lot of times we have tells. When that starts happening, we want to apply pressure therapy. One of the things we teach them is a shield command where they come in front and lean into your legs. Basically it's like an impromptu hug."

Hero Family Outreach has given four therapy dogs to veterans and first responders so far.

To donate to the organization, click here.