Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class James Stenberg | Cmdr. Joe, a military stress and welfare service dog trained to identify signs of...... read more read more
As a military stress and welfare service dog, Joe is trained to identify signs of stress or depression in people.
Joe and his handler, Lt. Cmdr. Tracy Krauss, a behavioral health specialist at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, travel to military and civilian hospitals throughout the country to demonstrate Joe’s unique talent. The two visited Naval Hospital Pensacola and several branch clinics in the Gulf Coast region May 2 – 6. Joe also visited several commands in the area aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola and NAS Whiting Field.
A black and tan Labrador, Joe acts just like a normal dog most of the time. He loves to be petted and greets new people that he meets with a wag of his tail. However, Joe’s demeanor changes when Krauss gives him the command to work. At that time, Joe searches for someone that may be suffering from stress or depression.
“Joe can recognize someone’s body language and can smell stress pheromones or cortisol levels,” said Krauss.
As the only stress-sniffing dog in the Department of Defense, Joe’s popularity is growing as he helps people suffering from stress and turns doubters into believers. In the past four years, Joe has identified 59 people showing signs of emotional distress and nine of those people admitted to having a suicide plan.
“Anyone that doubts Joe just needs to see him in action,” said Krauss. “He has never been wrong.”
Krauss only gives Joe the command to work in a clinic or hospital setting, and she is always open with patients about Joe and why he is there. Joe has a discreet way of letting Krauss know if he has identified a patient that may need attention and that patient is brought to a provider along with Joe to talk about stress or feelings of depression they may be experiencing in a comfortable setting. Sometimes patients are more comfortable speaking to Joe than an actual provider.
“Sometimes people ask to speak to Joe,” said Krauss. “They can talk to him about anything because Joe doesn’t judge.”
Joe is truly a unique dog who is helping to lessen the stigma of seeking mental health assistance across military treatment facilities. Even when Joe is not working, he always brings a smile to people faces.
“[Joe] is awesome,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Gibbi Johnson, leading petty officer, Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, NHP. “It’s hard to be in a bad mood when he shows up wagging his tail and wants to be petted.”
| Date Taken: | 05.09.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.09.2016 15:07 |
| Story ID: | 197688 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 127 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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