MADISON (WKOW) — A local program in Madison is helping to foster a remarkable bond between humans and service dogs.
Custom Canines launched a new Crisis Assistance and Response Enhancement (CARE) team to improve how the community responds to emergencies.
The program was made possible by funding from Dean Health Plan by Medica.
“We are excited to present this as a real investment in the community,” said Josh Gustafson, market president of Wisconsin for Medica, Dean Health. “We don’t view this $105,000 as a donation or sponsorship. It’s an investment in a community that we know will bring compounded results and value in times of need and crisis.”
This new CARE team offers service dogs that can go out into the community to serve people who have experienced trauma.
Whether it’s a natural disaster or a school tragedy, these dogs and their volunteer handlers support first responders, families, and children during their most vulnerable moments.
“This initiative really started after we helped the Mount Horeb School District following their tragedy. Seeing our service dogs in training go out and demonstrate task work to students, staff, and first responders, and observing how quickly the dogs were able to de-escalate people in crisis, was pretty profound,” said Nicole Meadowcroft of Custom Canines.
The CARE team also supported last year’s Abundant Life Christian School shooting, providing crucial emotional support to children and first responders.
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