Therapy dog helps American Medical Response first responders

I.V. completed her therapy dog training in Mtherapy dogay 2024, becoming one of 44 dogs employed by AMR parent company Global Medical Response to help first responders decompress after particularly tough or traumatic moments on the job. 

In San Mateo County, AMR responds to all 911 calls that require emergency medical technicians. For the just under 300 employees the organization employs, the work is inherently stressful, often involving heightened emotions from patients and dangerous or taxing physical situations. 

“You go from sitting in the front cab of the ambulance where it’s quiet, to a potentially really dangerous and stressful, high energy situation, and then you drop the patient off at the hospital, and then you’re back in the super quiet cab of the ambulance,” Sanchez said. “It’s a lot of very high ups and low downs, and it’s important that they manage those things.” 

I.V. can help first responders manage the comedown from those situations simply with her presence, Sanchez said. She’s trained to gravitate toward individuals with raised cortisol and stress levels, and is often brought in for post-call debriefings and available to employees before and after shifts.

“When someone who is stressed just sits quietly and pets her, there are lots of studies that show that just that act will help lower your blood pressure, your pulse rate, your cortisol levels, increase dopamine,” Sanchez said. “It kind of clears the fog so that you can process your emotions.” 

Aside from her work with AMR’s first responders, I.V. has also become a familiar face in San Mateo County, regularly attending community events. She’s a particular hit with kids, Sanchez said, coming to the library to participate in storytimes. Her presence helps to acclimatize younger children to ambulances and first responders. 

“They’ve integrated I.V. coming and so one of our EMTs or paramedics will come to the library, read stories to the kids, and I.V.s there,” Sanchez said. “The kids can pet her, love on her and she’s so great with kids. Even the babies — they’ll climb all over her, and she just loves it.” 

Over time, I.V. has become part of the AMR family, Sanchez said. She gets thrown a birthday party every year, receives gifts on Christmas and dresses up for Halloween. 

“We’re like one giant family, and she’s our family dog,” Sanchez said. “She’s part of the family.”