INDIANAPOLIS — After months of training, IMPD’s new therapy dog Gus was sworn into the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) and began his tour around all IMPD Districts to meet and greet officers.
Officer Gus was born September 19, 2022 and is an Australian Mini Labradoodle. The 10-month-old is a hypoallergenic and doesn’t trigger any allergies or respiratory reactions.
Officer Gus has been training with Ultimate Canine since November 2022. Since then, Officer Gus has gone through three levels of rigorous training that include over 30 obedience commands, environmental exposure, high level of socialization, specialty therapy commands and even training around gunfire, the sounds of sirens and in high stress situations.
His primary handler, Office Nicole Juday, has completed the therapy dog handler training course. As a certified handler, she will work closely with Officer Gus to apply their skill to the work of the department.
Officer Gus’ primary duties are to provide peer support to officers. As a therapy dog, he will play a crucial role in assisting officers in times of crisis, providing a much-needed sense of relief and connection. Officer Gus is looking forward to using his specialized skills to de-escalate tense situations and provide unconditional love to those in need. He even knows how to snuggle!
Officer Gus will join Officer Allie, who has been with IMPD since 2020, in providing psychological and emotional support for IMPD employees.
