Therapy dogs from Indianapolis non-profit to attend ESX

May 6, 2019
Security professionals can interact with dogs from ‘Paws and Think’ while taking a break from the expo floor

Therapy dogs from Indianapolis nonprofit Paws and Think will attend ESX this June in Indy, where security professionals can interact with these companions that provide a sense of security to children and teens year-round.

Passionate security professionals might have more in common with these four-legged friends than they realize. Whereas the security industry is mostly focused on deterrence and immediate reaction to physical threats, these canines are concerned with helping people after incidents that were not/could not have been prevented.

“Providing an atmosphere where people feel safe is an underlying theme of everything we do at Paws and Think,” says executive director Kelsey Burton.

Whether it be through helping school children grieve after a crisis or helping at-risk teens in juvenile detention centers grow and feel safe expressing themselves, the therapy dogs give a sense of emotional security that is vital to the healing process.

“[Electronic security professionals] provide a safe physical environment, and we provide a safe space to help people heal emotionally,” says Burton.

The therapy dogs are good listeners and companions for people who otherwise would not know how to talk to someone about what they are experiencing. The humans aren’t the only ones who benefit from this interaction; the dogs at Paws and Think are from shelters and are often at-risk before being given a job with the organization.

The socialization and training the dogs receive through their service to people are invaluable and can make them more attractive to potential pet owners.

Security professionals will have the chance to interact with these hardworking dogs at ESX, where Paws and Think will allow integrators and monitoring professionals from across the country to take a break from the expo to shake paws with their teammates in the ongoing effort to make people feel safe.

To register for ESX, held this June 3-6, visit esxweb.com.

To learn more about Paws and Think, visit pawsandthink.org.