COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Therapy dog Rocket has been nominated for the First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award in an annual contest hosted by national behavioral health provider FHE Health.
According to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, voting will open to the public on Nov. 25 and continue through Dec. 4.
The winning dog and handler will receive the following:
– A $2,000 check in support of their work from FHE Health
– A gift basket from online pet retailer Chewy
– A featured blog post reaching more than 100,000 people on social media, along with a press release announcing their win
– A $2,500 donation in their honor to FHE Health’s partner organization, the First Responders Pack Foundation, which trains therapy dogs for first responders.
According to the sheriff’s office, Rocket works with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, serving first responders in North Idaho and the surrounding community. He is a certified therapy dog through First Responder Therapy Dogs and a member of the sheriff’s K9 Unit and Peer Support Team, providing emotional support to staff.
Rocket joined the agency after his handler, a chaplain and manager of the agency’s Peer Support Team, requested a therapy dog. Since then, Rocket has supported hundreds of deputies, firefighters, and veterans after violent and tragic incidents. He has also comforted staff and families in hospitals, visited area schools, hospice facilities, and veterans’ homes. Rocket is AKC-registered as “Sir Rocket the Kindhearted.”
To vote for Rocket, visit here.
For more information, contact John McSwain at (208) 446-1300 or jmcswain@kcgov.us.
