Bear, one of the newest therapy dogs at Arapahoe County Sheriff Department, takes a brief moment to lie down, April 20 during a swearing in ceremony at the sheriff’s office for the two new therapy dogs. Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado

CENTENNIAL | The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office has two new officers on the force ready to don their badges, as well as maybe a harness.

Puppies Otis and Bear were sworn in last week as the department’s fourth and fifth therapy dogs.

Just nine weeks old currently, the two dogs will be trained to work alongside School Resource Officers to help students in the Byers, Deer Trail and Cherry Creek school districts.

Black Labrador puppy Otis will work with SRO Deputy Drew Matthews, and the pair will split their time between Byers and Deer Trail schools. Chocolate lab Bear will become the second therapy dog in the Cherry Creek School District, joining Riley and his handler Deputy Adam Nardi, who started last fall.

Otis, one of Arapahoe County Sheriff Departments therapy dog gets “good boy” scratches from his handler, Deputy Drew Mathews during a swearing in ceremony of Otis and Bear, April 20 at the sheriff’s office.
Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado

Bear will be partnered to SRO Deputy Candace Gray, who is now the first female canine handler in the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office. Gray is no stranger to the program, however. According to a news release from the office, she’s the spouse of Deputy John Gray, who works with therapy dog Rex in Littleton elementary schools.

Gray and Bear will work in the Cherry Creek schools in unincorporated Arapahoe County and Centennial, according to the release.

With Otis and Bear, the Sheriff’s Office now has more therapy dogs than any other law enforcement agency in the state. All five come from Wellington-based breeder Duck Creek Kennels.

SRO Deputy Candace Gray holds Bear, one of the newest therapy dogs at Arapahoe County Sheriff Department, April 20 during a swearing in ceremony at the sheriff’s office. Gray is the first female K9 SRO for the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Dept.
Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado

“We are so proud of the partnerships we have with all these school districts,” Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown said in a statement. “These dogs are helping kids in ways we couldn’t have imagined. They’re making a huge impact in their mental health and touching lives in very positive and meaningful ways.”

Therapy dogs fill a range of responsibilities in schools, including working with students who have special needs, are suffering from anxiety or depression or are undergoing some type of crisis and need help calming down.

During a school visit in September, ACSO Sgt. Matt Cleveland said the dogs are beneficial in helping the officers connect with students who might otherwise be hesitant to engage with them.

Bear, one of the newest therapy dogs at Arapahoe County Sheriff Department, takes a brief moment to lie down, April 20 during a swearing in ceremony at the sheriff’s office for the two new therapy dogs.
Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado

“If I walk down the hall in a high school, some kids won’t even say hi to you,” he said. “You walk in with a dog, they all say hi to you.” 

The program has drawn interest from other agencies in the state, and has been praised by both the sheriff’s office and the partnering school district. During a Cherry Creek school board meeting April 10, board members and district administrators voiced excitement about getting a second therapy dog.

Bear gets sworn in by Sheriff Tyler Brown as one of the newest therapy dogs to join the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Dept. April, 20 at the sheriff’s office.
Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado

Kasey Ellis, president of the district’s teacher’s union, said that students “light up” when the therapy dogs enter a classroom.

“We can’t really say enough about these dogs,” said Ian Lopez, the district’s director of security and safety.

Lopez said the dogs have been invaluable at providing support after student or staff deaths or other traumatic events in the community.

“I can tell you from just sitting there watching them, it’s pretty amazing,” Lopez said. “When the dogs come out even if it’s just for a minute, the kids kind of forget about what was troubling them.”