Hudson Police Officer and Handler Jason Downey along with his Comfort Dog Haven play a crucial, but often overlooked role as a key part of Hudson’s Health and Mental Wellness Officer Program.
The six-year-old dog was almost literally “born to do this job,” being one of three pups selected from a litter of nine for her social temperament by the non-profit organization Hero Pups. Haven and her handler do not limit their work to Hudson, as their team is just one of many, all of which go where they are needed.
“Haven is the community dog, she puts a smile on everyone’s face, doesn’t matter what community we’re in. We’ve been all over NH, all the way up to the Vermont border,” said Downey. “We’ve even been to western Massachusetts. When Worcester State College had a shooting incident, emails went out requesting comfort dogs as they closed the campus. Haven and I were rotated in with other dogs for college students who wanted to pet dogs or who just wanted to chat.”
Notably, the Comfort Dog program is not a line item in the budget, as Officer Downey and Haven rely on donations to meet many of their day-to-day needs.
“We run on donations,” said Downey. “We initially received donations to purchase Haven, pay for training, raising her with me as handler. Our work isn’t part of the police budget. We run on donations with America’s Pets donating all food for Haven and we’re very fortunate in that aspect.”
Alvrine High School’s technical Veterinary Science program grooms Haven for free, with veterinarian bills being one of the more unpredictable costs.
Even beyond the Comfort Dog program, Officer Downey stressed the importance of the Health and Mental Wellness Officer Program, an area where he has extensive experience over a long career.
“Current stats will tell you a police officer is five times more likely to lose a life using their own service weapon than from the firearm of a criminal. A normal person might experience two to three traumatic, critical incidents in their lifetime. By contrast, a police officer experiences 300-400 critical incidents in their career,” he said, adding the situation was also true for other first responders, including firefighters and paramedics. “We’re trying to help these officers. We make sure we’re talking about the issues, and discussing what’s going on. It’s why we have debriefs.”
He emphasized that the Mental Health and Wellness program was not limited to those in high-stress occupations, even as they were the group often most in need.
“We give other resources as well, giving individuals the tools and coping strategies to avoid those full crisis moments where the police have to get involved, From Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2024, there were 521 calls for full-blown mental health crisis in Hudson,” said Downey. “I provide resources for anyone who needs them, I’m here for everyone in the town. I don’t think many people know what Haven and I do. How extensive our work is.”
He described the work he and Haven were doing as somewhat preventative, a way to deal with anxiety and trauma, and one of many resources designed to help people address everything from burnout to compassion fatigue.
Residents interested in making a donation to support Officer Downey and Haven’s work can write a check out to the Town of Hudson, NH, with “Comfort Dog” written in the memo line.
