Dec
PAWSITIVE IMPACT
When you ask Constable Steve Hill to describe what he likes best about his partner, he’ll tell you that she’s “wonderfully independent” and “she’s not shy to express herself”. Cst. Hill’s partner enjoys taking long walks and connecting with others. She’s non-judgmental and a great listener. She’s also a black Labrador named Calibri, or Cali for short.
Cst. Hill and Cali serve on the Calgary Police Service’s Victim Assistance Support Team (VAST). They work together to provide comfort and emotional support to victims of crime, including accompanying them to court if they need to testify.
Formed in 1977, CPS was the first policing agency in Canada to have uniformed officers designated to full-time roles in victim advocacy and support. Today, the unit comprises of sworn and civilian CPS members, dedicated volunteers, and, of course, accredited facility dogs.
“If you want to make a positive change in society, you can’t enforce your way through that; it’s got to be more holistic,” says Cst. Hill. “We are a social agency as much as we are an enforcement agency. You have to build relationships.”
Cst. Hill brings Cali to court, where victims can spend time with her to help them navigate emotionally complex and traumatic experiences. “Dogs are completely non-judgemental, they don’t understand what the story is or the court process, but the right dog will have a lot of empathy,” Cst. Hill explains. “Some people will want nothing to do with me and just want to be left alone with Cali. Other people will want some information and we’ll talk. But a lot of people just want to be alone with the dog.”
Cali and the other four-legged members of VAST go through special training with the Pacific Assistance Dogs Society, or PADS. Cali received 2 years of training before being paired with Cst. Hill. Some of Cali’s special skills include staying calm in large groups, being gentle with people of all ages, and bowing before the judges at court.
In addition to court support, Cali and Cst. Hill visit the Calgary Children’s Hospital and spend time with youth who may be staying for longer periods of time and provide support to families whose child might be receiving end-of-life care. They’re also frequent visitors to schools and YouthLink.
“When doing school or YouthLink visits, or giving presentations to kids, it’s good to see lots of questions, and they’re trusting me by being able to talk to me and ask questions,” says Cst. Hill. “You hope that you’re building a foundation of trust, they know they can talk to someone in uniform, they can talk to a police officer, and they can be honest because you built that foundation at a young age.”
As for Cali’s favourite part of the job, she’s a big fan of all things food, especially doggy cupcakes, and kids and people who get to her eye level. If you’re lucky, she might even give you a big kiss on the face (or in the author’s case, right on the mouth). On her days off, she is happiest at the river with a big pile of big dusty mud she can roll around in.
If you’d like to meet Cali and other furry friends of VAST and PADS, or maybe even snap a photo with Santa and the Grinch, come by YouthLink on December 13th for our Holiday Hounds event!
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