Police K-9s set to be euthanized get a second chance at Seekonk dog center

SEEKONK, Mass. — Dogs can be a powerful ally for fighting crime and helping troops on the battlefield.

The stress they’re exposed to in these situations can come at very high cost as K-9′s can exhibit symptoms like people who have post-traumatic stress disorder, according to Jim Lamonte, founder of the K-9 PTSD Center in Seekonk.

Dakota was the first K-9 Lamonte took in. The German shepard was one of the dogs on the scene in Watertown during the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers. “I got a phone call one day on a Sunday afternoon and it was a handler who was retiring, and he said he was looking for a place to surrender his dog.”

Lamonte could see that Dakota was in emotional turmoil and he soon decided to shift his focus from training dogs to rehabilitating them in their final years.

Currently, there is no official diagnosis for PTSD for dogs, but Lamonte says they can suffer from being exposed to all types of high-stress situations when they’re working with police.

“In some cases, it’s the blue lights of a police car. It could be the sound of a gunshot going off,” said Lamonte. “So, we mitigate them. We minimize it, and then over a period of time, you desensitize them.”

Horrific cases of K-9′s attacking their handlers are frighteningly common, said Lamonte. “It can happen very quickly, and it can be very violent.”

In December, Plymouth Police Officer Keith Larson was attacked by his K-9, Nico, and had to shoot and kill the dog to protect himself.

Flex is one of 11 dogs currently at the K-9 PTSD Center. He viciously attacked his handler in Indianapolis, sending the officer to the hospital with serious injuries.

“Most of the dogs that come to our center are scheduled to be euthanized because they’re weaponized,” said Lamonte. “So, our purpose is never to re-home these dogs. When these dogs come here they live their best life. . . I mean this is their perfect retirement plan.”

That works for Kato, who doesn’t have a violent past and really likes to play. “Kato was a K-9 serving in Manchester-by-the-Sea, and he found two lost children, so he’s a hero.”

That’s how Lamonte feels about Dakota, the dog that started him down a path that he says changed his life. “To see them just heal, it’s beautiful, it’s absolutely beautiful.”

The story of Lamonte’s relationship with Dakota will be featured on a Netflix documentary later this year.

“Healing Dakota” tells the story of how a dog can be man’s best friend – and vice versa. “They’re just looking for love. Unconditional love,” said Lamonte.

The Center is hoping as they study these dogs, they’ll be able to educate the officers who handle them about early warning signs that the dog might be about to turn on them.

Cox Media Group