Healing Dakota: Screening Benefits K9 Rehabilitation Center

There are more than 2.1 million working dogs around the world, according to the trailer for “Healing Dakota,” a local documentary detailing the struggles of retired police and military dogs — known as K9 officers — specifically Dakota, who was injured while working on apprehending the Boston Marathon Bombers in 2013. 

Currently there is no Massachusetts state funding for retired law enforcement dogs to receive the medical care they may require after their service. An upcoming event hopes to bring light to this and other issues for K9 officers. 

On Oct. 9 the Chatham Orpheum Theater will host a showing of “Healing Dakota” at 6:30 p.m. to benefit the K9 PTSD Research Center in Seekonk, an organization with a mission “to provide compassionate care, expert treatment, and individualized support to help every K9 find peace, purpose, and a path to a brighter future.”

The event will include a question-and-answer session with filmmaker James LaMonte, founder of the K9 PTSD Research Center; keynote speaker, Denise Gannon, mother of Sergeant Sean Gannon, a Yarmouth police officer who was killed in 2018 while serving a warrant and whose K9 partner was injured; and Springfield Police Officer Erik Blair and K9 Officer Warner, who have achieved a variety of recognition for their service.

Organizer Kim Roderiques says she created the event to honor the memory of Sergeant Gannon, raise funding for the K9 PTSD research center, and increase awareness for the issues K9 officers face when they transition from active duty.

 “I wanted to create an event to honor Sean Gannon,” said Roderiques. “By having his mom Denise give a keynote address and having the founder of the K9 PTSD Center, James LaMonte, who rehabilitates K9s and search and rescue dogs, this was, in my estimation, a way to give back to what Sean believed in: protection and honor for K9s who give their lives to protect all of us.”

The event will begin with the film, which was a winner for Best Story from the Boston Film Festival in 2023 as well as awards and nominations from at least 13 film festivals. The film, according to healingdakota.com, documents what it is like to rehabilitate dogs with PTSD. The focus of the film is Dakota, the first K9 Lamonte worked with. He recounts how, to save Dakota’s life, the K9 PTSD center was created and explains the work they do: studying the condition and creating an atmosphere and training plan that would help Dakota recover. 

There will also be discussion of the laws that have been enacted in the aftermath of Sergeant Gannon’s murder, one of which was Nero’s Law. Officer Gannon’s K9 partner Nero, who was injured but survived, inspired the law that allows ambulances to transport K9 officers to the nearest emergency help center.

Roderiques explained that Nero nearly bled out because, at that time, it was illegal to transport dogs in ambulances. She credits State Representative Steve Xiarhos and Dr. Kevin Smith of the Hyannis Animal Hospital for helping get the law passed. 

Now there is hope to pass Dakota’s Law, which was first proposed by Xiarhos in 2023 and would “establish a state fund to pay for medical treatment for retired law enforcement dogs; to increase the charge from a misdemeanor to a felony if someone hurts a police dog; and to provide a bill of rights for working K9s,” according to a press release.

Much of the work of the K9 PTSD Center focuses on donations and grants, noted Roderiques. K9s are brought from all over the world to receive the care Lamonte provides, she said.

 “When a K9 officer, whether they’re military, police, or search and rescue, retires they have such traumatic PTSD that many times they’re euthanized,” Roderiques said. “James rehabilitates them. Sometimes it takes years, but whatever it takes, they have a forever home.”

For those who are interested in more ways to help the K9 PTSD Center and honor Sergeant Gannon, the Center recently announced that a K9 Heroes License Plate has been approved by the state. The license plate, which will raise funds for both the Sean Gannon Memorial Fund and the K9 PTSD Research Center, is currently in a preorder phase, and more information can be found on k9ptsd.org. In a description of the license plate, the center notes, “The Massachusetts K9 Heroes Plate is more than just a license plate — it's a symbol of honor, sacrifice, and the bond we share with our K9 heroes. And with the letters SG, it is also a living tribute to a fallen hero, his courageous partner, and a law that will forever protect the K9s who continue to serve.”

Tickets for the event at the Orpheum can be purchased online at chathamorpheum.org. Roderiques thanked Lori Jurkowski for her help in organizing and Patti and Peter Gibson for serving as presenting sponsors.