Dogs with Jobs

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A lot of hard working people are employed by the City of Sioux Falls, but there are also some friends with 4 legs who work for the city.

Many people walk in and out of the Public Safety Campus in Sioux Falls each day, however there is one dog that calls it home– her name is Nena.

Structure fire in Columbia, SD

“She’s kind of just like anyone else’s home pet. She’s friendly. She’s someone that gets us up and moving. Keeps us active,” Metro Communications Shift Lead, LeNora Giles said.

Nena, which stands for the national emergency number association, lives in the Metro Communications area, where people are answering 911 calls every day.

“We do have a very stressful job. It’s very intense and high paced. And there’s scientific studies proving that, you know, having a pet can help reduce anxiety, high blood pressure, all of those things,” Giles said.

Metro formed a committee that agreed on getting a dog. They reached out to the Humane Society who helped them find their perfect match.

“We put her through some training just so that she would be an obedient dog, because this is a workplace. And then she’s been here just making everyone happy for quite a while now,” Giles said.

Since joining the crew, Nena has made a world of difference for the workers at Metro Communications.

“The environment is just more upbeat, more positive. It just brings a different sense that we didn’t have before. Just that, that positivity that is coming into our environment where we have to deal with a lot of tragic things. Having any bit of positivity helps make the load a little lighter,” Giles said.

While Nena is becoming an integral part of Metro Communications, there are other dogs that you are more likely to see outside of the Public Safety Campus. Some of those are the K-9 units with the Sioux Falls Police Department. Each of the dogs is paired up with a handler.

“The new dog comes over from overseas, and then we have an extensive six weeks for the narcotics and then patrol side eight weeks,” K-9 Officer Amanda Fox said.

The dogs are trained for a variety of tasks.

“The narcotics, he goes and sniffs illegal drugs that are either in a car or in a house or garage or wherever we need to go search,” K-9 Officer Grant VanVoorst said.

“If people take off from us on foot, they can find things that they have thrown as well as tracking. They can track people that have taken off from us and we need to find them,” Fox said.

While it may seem strange to have dogs be such an important part of the police force, they serve their purpose well.

“They help out in numerous different situations where some individuals, just by the sight of the dog, will end up giving up or, you know, being put into custody because they see the dog, they hear the dog, and it scares them,” VanVoorst said.

And while these dogs are hard at work most days, they also have created special relationships with their handlers.

“I had the pleasure of him just falling in love with me from the beginning. And I would say, we have a pretty, pretty good bond, and that has worked in my favor, probably throughout this whole process. And, yeah, it’s a bond like no other. And I’m very happy that he really attached to me,” Fox said.

DOGE having an impact in South Dakota

Perhaps the most famous dog on the Sioux Falls Police force is a newer one, who not only has stolen the hearts of Sioux Falls residents, but has also taken over the Sioux Falls Police Departments social media– Leo. We were there when they first introduced Leo and his position to the public in 2023.

“A brand new member of our department, which we’re proud to unveil today. And this is here we go. This is Leo. 14 week old golden retriever and our newest therapy dog and member of our department. He’s currently going through training to become a certified therapy dog,” Police Chief Jon Thum said.

Since then, Leo has received his certification. He serves multiple roles in the department.

“When someone is on a tough call, then he will go to them. And, he’s a very calming animal, so to say, as you can see. And, you know, he’ll engage them and it makes people feel better, because there’s no judgment by him,” School Resource Officer/ Leo’s Handler, Eric Meyer said.

He is also used outside of the police department’s walls, because Leo can do one thing that other dogs on the police force can’t– be pet by the public.

“He really likes kids, so he spends a lot of time engaging with, like kids that are about, and that also helps kids engage with officers. And, they see officers in a positive light,” Meyer said.

While it may seem weird to some people having a dog on the police force that isn’t used for narcotics or apprehension, he has greatly affected the well-being of the department.

“There’s also no judgment when you’re around a dog. So someone can go and engage with the dog and not have to worry about what other people think or what the dog thinks because they’re loving animals and they want your attention and they look to please you,” Meyer said.

So whether it’s in Metro Communications, the K-9 units, or Leo, dogs have become an integral part of the City of Sioux Falls.

“So, obviously our department would be, it would still function and still be the same, but we’d be missing someone we enjoy having around,” Meyer said.

A ‘pawsitive’ addition to SFPD

Hero’s best friend