Meet Rosie: Army Cyber Protection Brigade therapy dog

Photo By Shatara Riis | Army Cyber Protection Brigade SHARP Victim Advocate Wendy Sprools, pets Rosie, the brigade’s SHARP therapy dog, in the CPB SHARP office on Fort Gordon, Georgia  

FORT GORDON, GA, UNITED STATES

12.14.2022

Story by Shatara Riis 

U.S. Army Cyber Command

Fort Gordon, Ga. – The Army Cyber Protection Brigade (CPB) primary and special staff members here often find themselves in multiple meetings on a weekly basis.

While traditionally, these meetings consist of leaders from the “Hunter Brigade” personnel, intelligence, operations, resource management, Equal Opportunity, logistics, and other staff sections, a unique member often bounces in for hugs and pets from the CPB staff.

Rosie, the brigade’s SHARP therapy dog, is a frequent participant in meetings and training events. She mingles with the battalions’ Soldiers and civilians, where she is frequently greeted with, “Come here Rosie,” by unit personnel.

Rosie is a 2-and-half-year-old golden doodle who works with Wendy Sprools, the CPB SHARP victim advocate (VA). Sprools helps to oversee the brigade’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program.

“Rosie completed her Canine Good Citizen training at about five months old,” Sprools said. “She is trained to pick up on cues of stress. She provides comfort and can sense when something is wrong.”
According to Sprools, Rosie will push a person’s hand to make the individual pet her, sit on a person’s feet, or lay across them if she knows a person is stressed.
“In meetings, if she targets someone, she will go lay or sit by them,” Sprools said. “There are little things you can pick up on. She wants to soothe.”

Rosie is a certified good citizen, having completed the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen training, a set of 10 tests that provide a framework for training dogs to become polite members of society. The tests include skills such as interacting with strangers or other dogs; dealing with distractions; behaving when being petted, groomed or walked; and sitting, staying or coming on command.

In addition to being a Canine Good Citizen, Rosie has been rated as an official therapy dog by Pet Partners, an organization promoting animal-assisted therapy, activities and education.

“This includes a combination of online and in-person tests,” Sprools said. “Rosie and I had our handler and therapy tests simultaneously.”

Rosie’s primary purpose at the CPB is to be ready to provide support and care to victims of sexual trauma if called upon.

“With (victims of sexual trauma), I can’t just hug them and make them feel better. We want to, but we can’t,” Sprools said. “They’ve been through trauma. Rosie can provide that in a roundabout way – giving support to a person and soothing them.”

When not comforting victims, Rosie spends much of her time offering uplifting motivation by attending trainings, walking around the brigade’s offices, and visiting Soldiers at the 1st Cyber Battalion Defender Outpost and 60th Signal Battalion (Offensive Cyber Operations) headquarters, where she provides emotional support.

“I have people request for Rosie to attend their training or (come visit) their building. ‘Hunter Days’ are her favorite because she gets to meet and greet so many new people,” Sprools said. “She loved (having her space) at the Staff Annex because we would have four or five visitors a day. They were not coming to see me as the SARC (Sexual Assault Response coordinator). They came to sit and visit with Rosie. The Soldiers and civilians needed time to think and decompress. Sitting with Rosie made them feel better.”

Although Rosie and Wendy recently moved from the CPB’s Staff Annex to a new location, they still make regular rounds of the CPB.

“I like Rosie because I am an animal lover,” said Maj. Katie Leforte, CPB Information Technology Management (S6) officer in charge. “Her sweet disposition brings energy into any room she enters, immediately lifting the mood of those who interact with her.”

Whether she is assisting Wendy with the SHARP program or visiting brigade personnel, Rosie is a welcomed benefit to the CPB team.

“Rosie is an asset to the brigade because she brings joy to those that interact with her. As someone that has had animals my entire life, there is a certain amount of comfort a dog brings when they nuzzle you or play with you,” Leforte said. “We don’t always see or understand the struggles people are going through, but dogs, especially therapy dogs, have a way of touching people’s hearts that often affects both their mental and physical health.”

This golden pup affects her environment wherever she goes.

“Rosie is always happy to see everyone and brings a very different energy into the workplace,” said Capt. David Pody, CPB Knowledge Management officer. “Rosie allows the brigade to unwind while still in the workplace, bringing up morale for everyone.”

• Date Taken: 12.14.2022
• Date Posted: 12.14.2022 09:25
• Story ID: 435152
• Location: FORT GORDON, GA, US