The Oshkosh Police Department has announced a successor as their new therapy dog.
This week, the announcement revealed that K9 Gema will be filling the pawprints left behind by the former therapy dog, K9 Magic.
Gema is a two-year-old female yellow labrador who will offer emotional support to community members and officers. She will be working with Oshkosh Police Behavior Health Officer, Scott Sopata.
Since 2021, Sopata has been responding to behavioral health-related calls, highly sensitive calls for service, and helping fellow officers following critical incidents.
As the police department continues to find new and effective ways to de-escalate situations via peaceful methods, K9 Gema will play a big role in the City of Oshkosh.
Gema completed extensive training with Journey Together, which is a program that provides highly trained service dogs to people diagnosed with PTSD.
The Oshkosh Police Department knows the value of mental health wellness and believes Gema will play a big part in promoting wellness in the community.
