First Responders

Listening to the daily news, we hear about the tireless efforts of first responders to keep us safe and protected, sometimes putting their lives on the line on our streets. The daily stresses we face in doing our jobs pale in comparison to what they go through. Pets provide love and loyalty to their owners, and in many cases well-needed emotional support. I was honored to have the opportunity to speak with three first responders about their fur babies.

Let’s begin with Matt Patin, Chief of Operations of the New Orleans Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security, Public Safety Support Division. In this role, Matt manages the New Orleans Real Time Crime Center, the Grounds Patrol Unit (Physical Security and Asset Protection of City facilities) and oversees all administrative functions of the agency, including Human Resources, Recruitment, Training and Compliance, Payroll, and Policy Development. Matt began his law enforcement career in 1999 and has served in various roles in the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) including Patrol, Investigations, and Administration. Matt took over his current role in 2017. Matt remains commissioned as a New Orleans Police Sergeant in the Reserve Division, where he works as one of the agency’s LGBTQ+ liaisons. As you can see, he has a lot on his plate.

His furry friend at home, always waiting for him, is Bourbon, a three-year old Beagle. He was a rescue dog that Matt locally adopted from Pet Adoption Services on what they call his “gotcha” day, Oct. 29, 2018. Bourbon and his three siblings were found wandering in a park in Jefferson Parish.

When talking to Matt, I discovered some funny quirks about Bourbon (which reminds me of one of my babies). Matt says, “Bourbon can’t keep a bed. He likes to chew holes in them, stick his head through the hole, then run around the house with the zoomies. My mom was dog-sitting him one night, and he did just that. Then ran outside and started chasing squirrels with a bed around his neck. She snapped a pic to me.”

His response to the question led me to my next. How do you handle taking care of Bourbon when you have to put in long hours? This is a legitimate concern for any parent (and yes, four-legged children are our children too). Matt answers, “I have some of the most amazing friends. On days when I know I am going to work late, they’ll stop by the house to let him out or take him for a walk. Sometimes he goes to Mid-City Animal House, so he gets to play while I’m at work or traveling.”

Pets help their owners in myriad ways; one of them is by relieving stress and helping them relax. Matt’s description on how Bourbon helps him handle stress was so heartwarming. “Bourbon is a great release! It’s like he knows my schedule. When I come home, he’s on the edge of the couch waiting to greet me with his tail wagging. First thing first is we go for his evening walk. It gives me a chance to clear my mind and him a chance to take care of business. During the spring and summer, he enjoys hanging out by the pool just as much as his humans do. There’s one day a year that I get to bring him to work—for the Barkus parade. Our office leads the parade with the NolaReady car and our pups. It’s always a fun day around the office.”

Bourbon seems like a true NOLA Dog, and I wanted to finish the interview with cutest thing he does. According to Matt, Bourbon has a mean side-eye. He can throw shade with his eyes. He’ll cut them quick to let you know he’s judging you. So cute!

Next, I spoke with Sergeant Evan Cox with the NOPD Special Operations Division. Evan has been with NOPD for 17 years, and in law enforcement for 18. For the majority of his career, he was assigned to investigative units, focusing on criminal intelligence. Currently, he supervises a group of investigators who attempt to locate and apprehend individuals who have engaged in violent crime but have not been apprehended. Evan is one of the team leaders for the department’s SWAT team and an adjunct instructor at the training academy. He also enjoys working festivals and special events to meet the wonderful and eclectic people who also call this beautiful place home.

It is his work for the NOPD that brought Evan’s fur baby Six into his life. He found Six while working in the Sixth district. He was a tiny puppy in the rear of an abandoned residence, alone, no food, water or shelter. After speaking to neighbors in the area, no one knew anything about him, so naturally he came home with me. The universe aligned to bring us together. Six is now approximately 14 years old.

Evan explains that, in his younger years, Six was a habitual escape artist. If he found two inches of space, somehow he managed to get his whole frame through. After breaking free to explore, he loved visiting as many neighbors as possible with the hopes of finding someone grilling. He then activated his best performance skills, acting as if he had not eaten in a year. After he ate and laid down for a nap, the neighbors would call my number and embarrassed, I would once again set out to find my chunky escapee. That story is priceless.

Working long hours, especially during times like Mardi Gras and other big events in New Orleans, Evan luckily has an amazing pet mom and grandmother who shower Six with as much attention as he will allow them to. Having them certainly lets him approach the job with a clearer head, knowing his little man is well cared for.

Six helps Evan de-stress by always being there with more pressing needs than his own. “Whether I worked 4 or 14 hours, it does not matter to him because he wants his belly scratched, he wants peanut butter treats, and he wants his nightly walk around the neighborhood desperately searching for discarded fast food wrappers. His lack of awareness to anything else in the world but his own reality is refreshing and helps me shed the realities of my day.”

Evan continues, “Six is a great de-stresser because he reminds you the important things in life are so simple: good food, a little exercise, and a cozy place to sleep. Our walks at night give me time to decompress, and with his unrelenting desire for constant attention, you can’t help but smile.”

And the cutest thing Six does is a testament to most dogs and I am here for all of it. “Six is an endless beggar, hopelessly optimistic he might catch a falling morsel. But his two true loves in life are his night-time frozen peanut butter and rolling in the fresh cut grass. Watching his happiness, his simple pleasures, always puts a smile on my face.”

My final interview was with Fire Marshal Deputy Josh Correa, who works in the State Fire Marshal Office. A powerful force within this Enforcement Division is their Canine Unit. These specially trained dogs can detect flammable liquids at a fire scene while leaving the exact location undisturbed, aiding in evidence collection integrity. The use of K-9s lessens the amount of time an investigator would spend on a fire scene digging through debris looking for flammable liquid patterns. Canine use also reduces laboratory costs by increasing sample accuracy while reducing the amount of samples needed. Thus, the Investigator-Canine team is not only a savings to taxpayers, but a strong visible deterrent to the would-be arsonist.

And this is where Josh and his fur “partner” Brady works. And even though Brady may be property of the agency, he is Josh’s dog who goes home with him at night and cared for and loved like any other pet. It is just that Brady is also a K-9 and Josh’s co-worker. Pretty neat.

Brady’s bio is impressive. Brady is a six-year-old Black Labrador Retriever (his seventh birthday is this July) who has served the New Orleans metropolitan area since 2018. He came to the agency when he was 16 months old. During this time, Brady has conducted over 75 fire scene searches and assisted in exposing criminal acts of arson and fraudulent insurance claims, resulting in considerable savings for the people of the state. Brady is a “play reward” K-9 and received his training from the United States K-9 Unlimited in Abbeville, Louisiana. Brady, along with Josh, was awarded the 2020 Louisiana State Fire Marshal K-9 Team of the Year Award. Brady regularly provides assistance to fire investigators and law enforcement agencies, as well as performing demonstrations at schools, civic organizations, and public events in order to bring awareness to the crime of arson.

Josh has been with the Fire Marshal’s office for 7 1/2 years and moved into the K-9 unit after two years. One of the biggest questions I had for Josh was to explain the meaning of a “play reward” dog. The answer was simplistic: some dogs are driven by food rewards, and some have other motivations. Brady’s drive is to play, which I love. Brady loves to swim and does so very well. In fact, if they are on a case and there is a pool, lake or other fun body of water nearby, he has to be reminded work first and then he can go for a dip. He also likes chasing balls and playing fetch.

Josh explains how even though they do basically the same job, Brady teaches him a valuable lesson on how to alleviate stress. “Brady lives in the moment. He is always happy and never stressed whether he is at play or working. He does not let the things that humans worry about affect him. His positivity and the fact he is always in a state of joy gives you a different perspective. And being around that influence all day helps you deal with your stress and let things go.”

So what is Brady’s cutest trait? Josh laughs, “He is an almost 80-pound dog that likes to cuddle. He likes to climb up on your lap like he is a baby. I also taught him how to give high fives, so when he wants your attention, he comes up to you and raises his paw waiting for his high five and to also let you know he needs more attention.”

Josh, Evan and Matt, thank you for your service. We appreciate all your hard work. And a special shout out to Bourbon, Six and Brady for playing a role in keeping our everyday heroes stress-free and safe.