Emergency response team members from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hurricane Helene Recovery Field Office in Hickory, N.C., were recently visited by therapy dogs Basil and Wren. The four- and five-year-old borzois, gave hugs, allowed scratches and belly rubs, but more importantly provided the team a few minutes of respite from mission stressors.

As part of the Critical Incident Stress Management program, Peer Supporter Phil Tilly, from USACE’s Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, arranged for the two therapy dogs to visit the RFO team.

“Many of our teammates have a canine family member at home.” said Tilly. “During a deployment, our teammates miss their pups quite a bit. Part of that is due to the nature of a relationship with a dog and part of it is the challenges that a deployment can bring.”

Tilly added that therapy dogs, are specially trained to respond well to lots of touching, hugs and attention from people they just met, wanting to be near them. “They bring a special soothing effect to what can be otherwise a demanding and challenging work environment.”

Through a fortunate happenstance during a Catawba Chamber of Commerce meeting, Tilly was guided to volunteer therapy dog team member and dog owner Emily Killian. “Emily’s mother Lisa told me about her daughter’s therapy dogs. I contacted Emily, coordinated her availability, and put the wheels in motion,” said Tilly.

The borzoi or Russian hunting sighthound is a Russian breed of hunting dog. It was formerly used for wolf hunting, and until 1936 was known as the Russian wolfhound. Basil is a four-year-old American Kennel Club show champion and Wren is a five-year-old AKC grand champion.

“Basil loves visiting with people of all ages. He is a happy guy who takes the best selfies and gives wonderful borzoi hugs,” said Killian. “Wren is almost six-year-old and is the quintessential beauty queen. She likes to be the life of the party and knows how to charm everyone in a room.”

Both borzois have been therapy dogs since 2020 and they are certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. According to Killian, as a breed, borzois are generally gentle dogs who are easy to live with. She initially got her first borzoi as a companion with the intent to do therapy dog work.

“I started doing therapy dog work about 15 years ago. My longtime trainer and friend had the breed and I wanted one for many years before I got my first one,” said Killian. “Their calm disposition, gentle, quiet nature and size make them an ideal breed for therapy dog work. I have trained and volunteered with four borzois since then and I currently have three in service, with two more who will take their certification tests soon.”

According to Killian, a local public health worker, after Helene hit western North Carolina, she knew that relief workers would be in the area, and they would be away from their families and pets for extended periods of time and could use the support of a therapy dog team.

“There are very few things better than to be able to put your arms around a big, fluffy borzoi,” said Killian. “So, when the opportunity to visit with USACE came up, I was eager to schedule a visit with my dogs. Killian looks forward to scheduling more visits, as the hurricane response will be ongoing for quite some time. to her this is a small way to serve a group of people who serving her neighbors to the west in a much bigger way.

“The visit of these support dogs was a welcomed change of pace to everyone in our Hickory office,” said Wilmington District and Hurricane Helene Recovery Field Office Commander Col. Brad Morgan. “We’ve all been working long, stressful days to ensure that we are doing everything we can to help those affected by Hurricane Helene here in North Carolina. Having these canine visitors come see us was a morale boost and brightened all our day.”

Therapy dogs are just one way for managing stress during deployments. Critical Incident Stress Management recognizes a variety of stressors and feelings can affect disaster responders.

“How we deal with them is what makes the difference. Some coping mechanisms that we have found work well include regular sleep patterns, consistent nutrition and water consumption, staying in touch with those who we rely upon for encouragement and support,” said Tilly. “It also helps to recognize that a change to our routines, even a minor change, can be a bit unsettling. It’s okay to fee a bit unsettled as you get into the swing of a deployment.”

Tilly explains that CISM team members are not counselors or therapists, but have received special training on communicating with others, listening skills, and knowing how to offer some of these coping techniques to their peers. “We are, in fact, Peer-Supporters. We come from every facet of USACE and represent the diversity that defines USACE. Everything we discuss with a teammate is 100 percent confidential, with empathy and encouragement.”