FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMEDIA CONTACT:
Austin Parrish, 651.297.8407
Austin.Parrish@house.mn.gov
News Release
Rep. Mueller Presents Bill to Provide Therapy Dog Training and Support for Law Enforcement Saint Paul, MN — Today Representative Patricia Mueller (R – Austin) was joined by Detective Adam Sack from the Woodbury Police Department and his canine partner Otis to present HF 4215 to the Public Safety Committee. This bipartisan bill would provide grant funding that law enforcement departments could apply for to cover the costs of adding a service animal like Otis to their department. Otis has been serving the Woodbury Police Department since 2023 to provide support for both first responders as well as victims and children whether on a call or back at the station. “Otis has been a huge success for the Woodbury Department, and I look forward to these grants helping other departments add a therapy dog to their team.” Said Rep. Mueller on her bill. "Years of divisive rhetoric have caused a worker shortage in our police force and has left morale amongst our peace officers low." “Our first responders face significantly more stress and traumatic events during their career than most Americans. With this knowledge, we need to be finding innovative ways that we can support those who put themselves in harm's way every day to serve their communities.” The bill hearing concluded with a motion to lay over for possible inclusion in a future public safety bill and the video archive can be viewed here. ###    * Photo Credit: Minnesota House Photography |