Our Support Teams
K9 Eleven
K9 Bug
K9 Elvis
Handler; Tim Abramczyk Florida Forestry Service
Handler; Firefighter/Paramedic Dean Moreno BSO Fire Rescue
Handler; Stephanie Silk Captain Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue
Eleven was named after the show Stranger Things. She was adopted as a puppy from Big Dig Ranch rescue. She is the first wildland Therapy Dog for the Florida Forest Service and is part of our CISM team. She is also part of the Broward First Responders Support Dogs team. She is certified as a Law Enforcement investigative therapy dog, multi-discipline Therapy K9, AKC Good Citizen and AKC Novice Trick Dog.
Dean is the founder of First Responder Pack Foundation. He is dedicated to helping first responder agencies acquire therapy dogs for their members and communities they serve. Dean holds multiple certifications in PEER Support and CISM training. His dog Bug is a Golden Retriever and is a certified therapy/crisis support K9. "Dogs make a difference and together we can make a difference one paw at a time."
Elvis is a lovable Goldendoodle born in November 2022 with a big personality and an even bigger heart. He is a certified Canine Good Citizen and proudly serves as a therapy dog for Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue. Elvis is known for his sweet, affectionate, and outgoing nature. He loves meeting new people, giving hugs and kisses, and bringing comfort and smiles wherever he goes.
K9 Pepper
K9 Ember
K9 Mango
Handler; Bill McGrath; Deputy Chief North Lauderdale Fire Rescue
K9 pepper is an English Black Labrador. The team is trained and certified by IAFF Peer Support and Critical incident Management. K9 Pepper is certified by Palm Beach Sheriff's Office Paws and Stripes West Palm Beach. Bill and Pepper attend community events, visits to hospitals and schools as well as active members of the Broward CISM team for response in critical events. Pepper was donated by the First Responders Pack Foundation and is the first Therapy Dog for North Lauderdale Fire Rescue
Handler; Ed Pickering Battalion Chief Logistics Margate Fire Rescue
Ember a Bernedoodle, was born on January 25th, 2023. She was gifted to the Margate Fire Department by the For Paul Foundation to which she serves in her current role as a Crisis/Therapy K9. Ember started off with basic obedience training and then moved on to the following training /certifications; Good Citizen Canine (CGC), Advanced CGC, Brevard County Sheriff's Office Paws & Stripes graduate, member of the Florida Firefighter Health and Safety Collaborative Animal Assisted Crisis Response (AACR) Team, Highlands County Sheriff's Office Advanced Therapy Course, and the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) Therapy K9 certification.
Ember has been deployed to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton under the Florida Firefighter Health and Safety Collaborative. She has also been deployed to the Orlando Fire Department and the St. Johns County Fire Rescue Department with the International Association of Fire Fighters K9 peer support team.
Handler; Officer M Santana Sunrise Police Dpartment
Mango is a 5-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer proudly serving as a therapy dog with the Sunrise Police Department. With his gentle demeanor, boundless energy, and intuitive nature, Mango plays a vital role in supporting both first responders and the community they serve.
Trained to provide comfort in times of stress and crisis, Mango regularly assists during critical incident responses, peer support sessions, and community outreach events. Whether he’s offering a calming presence after a difficult call or helping bridge connections between law enforcement and the public, Mango has a unique ability to bring people together and lift spirits without saying a word.
Known for his affectionate personality and unwavering loyalty, Mango is more than just a working dog—he’s a trusted partner, a source of healing, and a reminder of the power of compassion in policing.
K9 Harper
Handler; Trooper Jaqueline Olivas
Meet harper, FHP Troope E's first Therapy Dog. Since 2025, she has been helping FHP personnel and the community reduce stress, anxiety, and depression with her caring nature and trained skills. harper has volunteered at career days, community events, and supported individuals with developmental delays and disabilities. A rescue, she loves playing in the pool, playing catch, and cuddling with her humans.
K9 Sailor
Handler; Officer Shaheed Saban
K9 Sailor and Ofc. Saban have been a team since December 2024. K9 Sailor is an American Bulldog/beagle mix. He serves the community during traumatic events and education in mental health. They attend many community events to include spending time with our elderly and youth. They are also a graduate of the Palm beach Sheriff's Office Paws and Stripes Course.
K9 Leia
Handler; Sgt. David Haines
Sgt David Haines is a 13-year veteran of the Davie Police Department who proudly serves his community. off duty, he volunteers with the Broward First Responder Support Dogs nonprofit alongside his certified therapy dog, Leia- a 3-year-old Great Pyrenees mix and graduate of the Palm Beach Sheriff's office Paws & Stripes program. Leia was rescued as a puppy by Big Hearts for Big Dogs Rescue. Together, they provide comfort and emotional support to fellow first responders and members of the local community
K9 Sepot
Handler; Ofc. Jessica Scala Fort Lauderdale Police Department
Sepot began his career with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department in March of 2023. Sepot is a AKC Certified Therapy Dog who graduated from Brevard County's Paws & Stripes program. Sepot was donated by First responder Pack Foundation. Sepot was named in honor of one of our fallen officers, Ofc Jennifer Sepot. Sepot strives to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community he serves. He visits hospitals, nursing homes, schools, assists with interviews, responds to post traumatic/critical incidents, as well as attending community events all in hopes of providing comfort to those in need.
K9 BB
Handler; Theresa Mackie Pompano Beach Fire Rescue
Theresa & BB 🐾
BB has been by my side since he was just 7 weeks old, and from the beginning it was obvious he had a special gift—an uncanny ability to calm people when they needed it most. As fellow first responders, that gift slowly turned into a calling for both of us.
When BB turned three, we started training together and never really looked back. What began with our CGC grew into peer support work for our department and training in CISM, Mental Health First Aid, and suicide awareness for me. Along the way, BB earned his national therapy dog certification and eventually the big one—becoming a State Certified Crisis Response K9. We were honored to be part of the very first group certified.
Today we’re proud members of Broward First Responders Support Dogs, working alongside an incredible team of firefighters and police officers dedicated to supporting those who serve.
And because learning never really stops, I’m currently working toward becoming a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT)—with BB, of course, supervising every step of the process. 🐾💙
K9 Casey
Handler; Officer Doklean Hollywood Police Department
Dana Doklean is currently a Therapy K-9 Handler with the Hollywood Police Department and has served the department for nearly three decades in numerous capacities, including Patrol, Community Oriented Policing, Street Crimes, Vice, Intelligence, and Narcotics, Criminal Investigations, and Public Affairs. She helped to establish the department’s Peer Support Team where she currently serves as a Peer Support Coordinator. In 2021, she launched Hollywood’s first Therapy Canine Program with K-9 Casey. Officer Doklean and K-9 Casey are a Certified Therapy K-9 Team who attended the Law Enforcement Investigative Therapy Dog training at Paws and Stripes College. K-9 Casey is an American Foxhound and is titled as an AKC Therapy Dog. He is used in a variety of situations to include forensic interviews, critical and traumatic incidents, crimes involving children or vulnerable adults, special events, community outreach and school demonstrations. He loves a good back scratch, working for treats, attending training classes and providing comfort to those in need.
K9 Raegan
Handler; Tery Echevarria Firefighter/Paramedic Fire Inspector Plantation Fire Rescue
Tery Echevarria, a Firefighter Paramedic and Fire Inspector with the City of Plantation, is the handler of Raegan, a Goldendoodle named in honor of Lt Mize's daughter, Raegan, who was tragically lost to DIPG. Donated by Fire responder Pack Foundation, K9 Raegan is certified in Animal Assisted Crisis Response with the Florida Firefighters Safety Collaborative and a Graduate of Palm Beach Sheriff's Office Paws & Stripes program. Raegan and Tery provide comfort and support to those in need.
K9 Luna
Handler; Paul Lucas Crew Chief Plantation Fire Rescue
K9 Luna is an F1 Goldendoodle with the Plantation Fire Department, donated by the First Responders Pack Foundation (501(c)(3)). She is certified through PBSO Paws & Stripes, ATD, and AKC. Luna is among the first dogs in Florida trained in cortisol scent detection, helping identify elevated stress levels in first responders and supporting early, proactive crisis intervention.
K9 Boulton
Handler; Chris Muller Plantation Fire Rescue
Chris Muller retired as a Colonel from the U.S. Army after 29 years of service. He has served as a Driver/Engineer with Plantation Fire Rescue for 8 years and received Boulton from the First Responder Pack Foundation. Boulton is an AKC registered Chocolate Lab born on 10 June 2024. Boulton is named after Colonel Barry Boulton, USMC (ret) and former Plantation Fire Lieutenant. Barry passed away in line of duty on 7 May 2019. Chris and K9 Boulton both trained with Palm Beach County Sherriff’s Office and are certified as a therapy/crisis support K9 Team. As part of the Broward County First Responder Support K9 Team, Chris and Boulton are dedicated to helping First Responders in the wake of traumatic events and promoting mental health. Boulton loves playing fetch and serving alongside his fellow K9’s.