Round Rock FD introduces therapy dog Ivy for firefighter mental health, wellness
The Round Rock Fire Department has welcomed Ivy, a six-month-old therapy dog, to help support firefighters' mental health and wellness, and the program is a collaboration with Hearts4Heroes, a nonprofit organization.

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — The Round Rock Fire Department welcomed a new member, Ivy, a six-month-old therapy dog, to help support firefighters' mental health and wellness.
The pup, who recently completed intensive training, will work alongside her handlers at the Public Safety Training Center. Her training includes handling, leash skills and basic commands, all aimed at preparing her for her role in supporting first responders.
"It's been amazing to see that if a dog is introduced into an environment where there are high levels of higher pulse, maybe the blood pressure is raised, a dog can actually lower the points of blood pressure and bring your heart rate down to decompress and help you regulate," said Ricky Virgne, one of her handlers and a firefighter.
He and his wife, Jody, take care of the dog when she's not working.




"This has been a relatively new program. We want to show its efficacy and how beneficial it is, and then hopefully in time we can potentially grow the program. That way, we can meet the needs of everyone in the department," Jody Virgne said.
The program is a collaboration with Hearts4Heroes, a nonprofit organization that pairs first responders with dogs to enhance their mental health and overall wellness.
When off duty, Ivy enjoys the life of a normal dog, but the department is considering expanding the program to include more therapy dogs in the future.
All facts from this article were gathered by KXAN journalists. This article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence. It has been edited and approved by KXAN staff. Read about our approach to using AI tools.
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