ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — When three-year-old Luna goes to work her mission isn’t like other K9 officers at the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.
“She’s certified with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs,” said Luna’s handler and owner C.W. Lemoine.
The Husky mix doesn’t track down suspects or sniff out narcotics. Instead, she gives much-needed puppy love to the community and first responders who may be having a ‘ruff’ day.
“She’s very disarming just by her demeanor. She doesn’t look like a normal police dog. She wears all pink. As soon as you look at her you see a brown and a blue eye, floppy ears, scruffy face,” said Lemoine.
Lemoine, a reserve deputy, rescued Luna as a puppy.
“She was found in a trash bag in a dumpster in Arkansas,” said Lemoine. “Her entire litter was found.”
Lemoine fostered and then adopted Luna in 2021. One day he took her to a work event. After seeing how she interacted, Lemoine got an idea.
“It’s a high-stress job, especially in today’s world,” said Lemoine.
To combat that stress, he wanted to start a therapy dog program at the sheriff’s office.
“We got the program approved as the first therapy K9 for the agency and the National Police Association paid for her training,” said Lemoine.
After about two months of training, Luna had a new ‘leash’ on life. She became a commissioned deputy last Fall.
“I take her with me on patrol and the deputies on the shift really appreciate it because between calls I’ll get her out of the unit, and they’ll pet her and kind of decompress,” said Lemoine.
Decompressing officers means lots of scratches for Luna. She even paws around at community events, nursing homes, and daycares.
“It’s something new, it’s different and I was thrilled when they brought this plan of action to me,” said Sheriff Randy Smith.
Smith says using a dog like Luna is a perfect way to help with everyone’s mental health.
“It seems to work because everybody seems to love her,” said Smith.
Lemoine hopes Luna not only brings awareness to mental health but also awareness to rescuing animals in need.
“She’s a very laid-back dog and that’s what you need for a therapy dog,” said Lemoine.
Other agencies have already reached out to Lemoine about starting their own therapy dog program.
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