Kent Police Get New Four-Legged Welfare Officer
Kent Police have welcomed a very special new recruit to boost mental health support for officers and staff. Meet Honey, their first wellbeing and trauma support dog, on duty across the county’s police stations.
Honey: The Canine Calm in a Crisis
Honey isn’t your usual police dog. This springer spaniel belongs to a community policing volunteer and comes via the national Oscar Kilo 9 (OK9) network, which rolls out wellbeing dogs UK-wide. Her mission? To provide comfort and calm after traumatic events.
She visits frontline officers and 999 call handlers who regularly face distressing situations. Honey offers precious minutes of relief in hectic workplaces, already dropping by stations in Canterbury, Ashford, and Maidstone with her handler.
Boosting Mental Health One Pooch at a Time
“Policing is a challenging and demanding job that can frequently lead to stressful, upsetting, and sometimes disturbing situations,” said PC Martyn Tulk, lead of the Community Policing Volunteer Canine team.
“When a dog is brought into the workplace, the interactions can provide much-needed light relief. We hope Honey’s presence makes it easier for officers and staff to open up about mental health issues and stressful events.”
The OK9 network has over 100 accredited wellbeing and trauma support dogs working with police, fire, and rescue teams nationwide. Handlers receive mental health first aid training and draw on personal experience to help colleagues talk, listen, and access support.
More Than Just a Good Boy
Alongside Honey, Kent Police also use other volunteer therapy dogs for tackling mental health challenges, assisting vulnerable people, and supporting child-centred policing efforts. These pooches are proving to be game-changers in wellbeing across UK police forces.
