A small NYPD wellness program built around therapy dogs like Emma and Glory is facing fresh uncertainty as the department pushes to move more officers into patrol roles, raising questions about staffing for specialized support units.
The dogs are tied to the NYPD’s Employee Assistance Unit, a 24/7 resource that provides peer counseling and support after traumatic incidents, including hospital visits, precinct check-ins, and critical incident responses.
A wellness tool that grew out of a mental health push
According to a National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund profile of the NYPD’s wellness efforts, the department expanded its broader health-and-wellness infrastructure after a period marked by heightened concern over officer mental health and suicides, adding resources that included therapy dogs.
Within the EAU, the Therapy K9 Program was instituted in summer 2021, with dogs provided through Puppies Behind Bars and support from the New York City Police Foundation, the NYPD’s own program materials state.
Who the dogs are and what they do
In its published overview of the program, the NYPD describes therapy dogs as a way to reduce stigma and help officers feel comfortable opening up, noting that handlers and dogs respond to critical incidents and visit police facilities and hospitals.
The program originally highlighted dogs, including Jenny, Glory, and Piper, along with their handlers. More recently, NYPD-related posts have also featured Emma alongside Glory and Jenny as part of the unit’s therapy K9 lineup.
Why the unit’s future is being watched now
City leadership has repeatedly emphasized shifting staffing away from “desk” functions and into patrol and other front-line roles. In an official City Hall transcript this year, the administration said it had already moved thousands of officers back to patrol, framing it as part of a broader staffing strategy.
Against that backdrop, a recent NYPD wellness post described the therapy-dog unit’s status as unclear while more officers are pushed into patrol assignments, adding to concerns that replacement staffing may lag as dogs and handlers retire.
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What happens next
No public timeline has been issued for whether the NYPD will add more therapy dogs or expand handler staffing. For now, the EAU continues to promote 24/7 access to its services, including phone support and in-person help at its Manhattan location.
