New Vienna police support dog will play a key department role

Dogs instantly can bring joy, comfort those who are sad or angry, and help break the ice with strangers.

A 2-year-old yellow Labrador named Marlin now handles all those duties as a facility-support canine for the Vienna Police Department.

The affable 70-pound dog moves slowly and carefully, gently sniffs strangers’ hands and – if you insist – will accept some petting, ear scratches and belly rubs.

“He has this gurgle-grumble with a toy in his mouth, and that’s how he says hello to people,” said Detective Marcos Herrera-Fuentes, Marlin’s handler. “He loves throwing himself on people’s feet. He’s just very chill. He takes his job very seriously.”

Marlin joined the department in mid-May after nearly a nearly yearlong process. Town police had considered getting a facility-support dog for some time and approached the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which has one, about how to apply for such a canine, said Deputy Chief Daniel Janickey.

The department obtained Marlin from the non-profit group Mutts with a Mission, after filing an application last August, going before a committee and undergoing online interviews.

Because a limited number of dogs are available, the group is “pretty strict” on who gets them, Janickey said.

Several Vienna police officers expressed interest in participating in the program and department leaders selected Herrera-Fuentes to attend Mutts with a Mission’s “transitional school” in April.

“I always want to do more, and this was an opportunity that came up,” said Herrera-Fuentes, who also participates in the department’s honor guard.

The detective, an 11-year department veteran who has two dogs at home, attended a two-week training session with four other people.

Dogs at the facility picked their future handlers, not the other way around. The group gave the candidates a leash and a ball and had them take dogs outside to play.

The first canine Herrera-Fuentes played with didn’t bond with him – “I threw the ball and she just did not want to go get it” – but the group next assigned him Marlin and they hit it off well. The pair graduated from training May 17.

Since then, the detective has acclimated Marlin to the department, introduced him to other town staff and taken him to some community activities, including visits to Marshall Road Elementary School and ViVa! Vienna!

During the recent Police Week in Washington, D.C., Marlin was among several facility-support dogs that greeted family members of fallen officers when they arrived at a local airport.

Vienna police also have taken Marlin to military bases and carrier ships in Norfolk, as well as a sheriff’s department there, to accustom the dog to being around officers and military personnel – many of whom are large men wearing body armor and carrying weapons.

Marlin attends the Vienna Police Department’s roll-call meetings and wears special ear and eye protection while attending shooting activities.

The department long ago had a canine that performed the usual law-enforcement duties, such as searching, but Marlin is its first facility-support dog, there to provide emotional support and assist with officer wellness, said Vienna Police Chief James Morris.

The idea is to have Marlin available so officers can pet him, relax and enjoy their work, Morris said.

Marlin helps others cope with trauma, stress and anxiety. This includes everyone from the department’s officers to people in the community or those having qualms about testifying in court.

“He’s part of our peer-support team,” Janickey said. “We’re anticipating that over time we’ll be taking Marlin our more on critical incidents involving officers.”

It took a while for Marlin to get accustomed to the atmosphere and routines at the police station, but he now fits in well with the officers, Herrera-Fuentes said.

“I feel like morale overall has been good when they see him,” he said.

Marlin, who was assigned his name by canine-daycare firm Dogtopia, is a fully trained service dog and can go everywhere police do, except houses of worship and private nightclubs. The public can pet Marlin, but should ask permission first.

“I’ve found that people respect the service-dog patch,” Herrera-Fuentes said. “But if I see they have that look, I’ll just approach and say, “Hey, you can approach and pet him.’”

The detective’s schedule overlaps the department’s day and night shifts, so officers on both can interact with Marlin. Herrera-Fuentes takes the dog home with him at night.

The department has a crate for Marlin, but he’s well-disciplined and will lie down when told, Herrera-Fuentes said.

“I’m trying to teach my other dogs that,” he said.

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