FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A 5-year-old Corgi named Taco stopped by The Morning Show on Friday with his human to share more about his journey to becoming Flagler County Fire Rescue’s first therapy dog.
Community Paramedic Rob Errett said he and his family adopted Taco, one of three dogs in their home, during the pandemic from a Naval Air Station Jacksonville family who couldn’t take the sweet boy with them when they relocated.
Errett said Taco’s first family named him, and it was just too perfect to change it.
Now, Taco is a graduate of the Paws and Stripes College and is officially a working dog. He’s part of FCFR’s peer support and critical incident teams.
MORE: Follow Taco on Facebook!
“We get deployed whenever there’s bad incidences that we need to go and debrief with,” Errett explained. “The good thing is that I don’t have to say anything. Taco does all the work.”
That work mostly consists of just being Taco and letting his sweet personality shine.
“We loved Taco before he was a therapy dog and even more so now,” FCFR Chief Michael Tucker said.
Tucker said his agency was approached by the county administrator about a year ago about considering the therapy dog program.
Tucker said Taco and Errett were the perfect candidates, and they were sent to the training college, created in 2006 by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
The 40-hour weeklong course teaches handlers and their K-9 partners to provide emotional support to those in stressful situations, whether to first responders themselves or those they serve.
“Obviously, mental wellness and health is something we’ve been trying to address for firefighters for a long time,” Tucker said.
The free Paws and Stripes College is an AKC-recognized Therapy Dog Organization that partners with the University of Central Florida Veterans Academic Resource Center and Space Coast Therapy Dogs.
For now, Errett said, Taco comes into the office with him about once a week, but he’s only 10 minutes away at home if anything happens and his services are needed.
Tucker said they’re already seeing the benefits and might consider adding more therapy dogs to their team in the future.