Douglas County Sheriff's Office Therapy Dog Olive Warms Mountain Ridge Students

Douglas County Sheriff's Office welcomed Olive, its first official Community Response Team therapy dog, to Mountain Ridge Middle School on March 6, 2026, where the four-month-old pure-bred Golden Retriever provided comfort to a special needs student, received a stuffed replica from a deputy, and joined a classroom birthday celebration with treats bought by students.

Olive’s designation as the DCSO’s first Community Response Team therapy dog follows a formal welcome that included an oath of office. Olive took the oath of office as she was welcomed into her new role, marking the sheriff’s office’s formal addition of an animal trained to support crisis response and school visits across Douglas County.

The dog was donated to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office by Connors K9 PAWS (Pups Assisting Warriors to Succeed). The founder of Connors K9 PAWS, Mike, “has donated his time to ensure Olive gets the training and certifications necessary to fulfill her role on the CRT,” a process the office says prepared Olive for work in schools and public settings.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office issued a statement tying the donation and training to community impact: “We are incredibly grateful for Mike's support and know that adding Olive to the team will enhance the vital work they are already doing in our Douglas County community.” The office emphasized the role Olive will play in outreach and emotional support during school and public engagements.

Inside the Mountain Ridge Middle School classroom, the visit illustrated local school-community ties; the classroom interaction included an unnamed deputy gifting a stuffed replica of Olive and students buying treats to celebrate Olive’s birthday. The user-supplied report summarized the scene as highlighting community compassion and school support, noting that the presence of the therapy dog was directed toward student comfort and classroom morale.

An Instagram post about Olive underscored the broader reach of the program: “Olive has made a huge impact on our community. She has interacted with hundreds of students in Douglas County Schools and hundreds of citizens” — a claim the sheriff’s office and Connors K9 PAWS can clarify with event logs and visit counts as the program expands.

Editors and officials working with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and Connors K9 PAWS may confirm further details such as Mike’s full name, Olive’s training and certification records, and permissions around student privacy and photography. For now, Olive’s arrival at Mountain Ridge Middle School represents a tangible example of the county’s investment in nonclinical supports for students and community members who may benefit from a trained therapy dog.