NHPR is bringing you stories about human-animal interactions as part of our special summer series “Furry, Scaly, Slimy, Winged.” NHPR’s Lauren Chooljian introduces us to a Weimaraner named Hapley, a pup who takes his abilities as a “working dog” to a whole new level.
Hapley is the CEO – Canine Engagement Officer – of the New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition. He and his colleagues encourage safer drug use to prevent overdoses and other drug related deaths. Lauren followed Hapley around to see what his job entails.
Press the play button above to hear the story or read the transcript of the audio piece (and see more photos of Hapley!) below.
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LAUREN CHOOLJIAN: Hi, Hapley!
(sound of Hapley sniffing and jingling his collar)
LAUREN CHOOLJIAN: How you doin’?!
Hapley is working in a church parking lot in Dover. He pokes his light brown, pointed nose toward me, sniffing and jingling the tags on his Grateful Dead themed collar.
There’s a lot going in this parking lot today. Mutual Aid is setting up a table with clothes, camping supplies, and food. The church is hosting a meal.
And despite all that, Hapley is the center of attention. He’s been here all of 60 seconds and a woman named Renee yells across the parking lot to Hapley’s owner.
RENEE: I know, I told her I’m gonna steal him – or her.
LAUREN CHOOLJIAN: You’re gonna steal him!
RENEE: Yes.
LAUREN CHOOLJIAN: I’m doing a story about him.
RENEE: He’s cute. I’ll bring you back before 6:30!
Hapley’s owner Palana Belken smiles at Renee. It’s not the first time someone’s loved on her dog. It’s actually kind of why Hapley’s here – to take care of everyone.
Palana is the director of operations for the New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition where she graciously shares her dog with anyone who needs him.
Tonight, Hapley and Palana are running their weekly syringe exchange. Hapley’s leash is tied around Palana’s ankle, just above her purple Crocs. He mostly sticks by her anyway. He genuinely smiles at people walking by while Palana sets up a folding table.
PALANA BELKEN: I got four different sized syringes. We got Narcan, wound care stuff. So I have, like, bandage kits. We got the gauze kits, um…
Exchanges like this one are the heart of the work of the New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition. Palana and her colleagues are stationed regularly in cities like Manchester, Rochester, Dover where they give life saving supplies to drug users.
A guy wearing a Red Sox hat swings by Hapley and Palana’s table. He dumps what he thinks are about 250 or 300 used syringes into a white bucket.
Hapley kindly acknowledges the guy, then pokes his head inside the bucket, while Palana gives the guy a box of clean syringes.
LAUREN CHOOLJIAN: Do you ever worry about people that come?
PALANA BELKEN: I kind of worry about the people who don't come. Whenever someone goes missing, there's always the rumor that they're dead. So not hearing about people is definitely worse than, you know, the folks that show up and whatnot. You know, the people who are here, are good today, are alive.
This work is life saving work. It’s also hard, emotionally draining work. And while there’s lots of evidence to support harm reduction strategies, Palana and her colleagues still face a lot of pushback because for some people, safe drug use is still a controversial idea.
So, a few years ago, Executive Director Lauren McGinley thought up a way for her team to weather that storm: Why don’t we bring our dogs to work?
LAUREN MCGINLEY: It’s just nice to have that kind of like (snaps her fingers) quick snap from really, really serious to… okay, let’s play.
Lauren and I are standing in their Concord office watching Palana and Hapley break down cardboard boxes.
(sound of Hapley panting and biting cardboard)
LAUREN CHOOLJIAN: Whatchu got there?
Anyone can bring their dog to work…Lauren does sometimes, but Palana and Hapley are a special case. Palana brings him almost every day. Hapley is 3 now and they’ve been through a lot together. Hapley just knows when to give me love, Palana says.
Burnout is a huge problem in the behavioral health field. And Lauren saw dogs as a way to retain her team – a group that’s been together since the organization started.
LAUREN McGINLEY: There's a whole host of policies that were really calculated to put in place that we, um… Hi.
(sound of Hapley’s collar jingling)
As if on cue, Hapley trots over to his boss and nods at her to pet him.
LAUREN McGINLEY: …that were specifically designed to, to keep employees, to make people feel happy here.
And over the past few years, it's become clear that Hapley is also an essential part of their outreach to participants.
It can sometimes feel impossible to convince a person with substance use disorder to get treatment. Trust is a huge barrier. Some people have experienced abuse or harassment while seeking treatment.
LAUREN McGINLEY: So many of our folks have been disappointed by humans. You know, humans have been really disappointing in this work. If people come and scratch behind his ears and talk about the dog they had once and then leave with one sharps container, that is such an incredible leap from non-engagement and, and zero safety measures. Like, that's great.
(ambient sound of the Dover parking lot)
PALANA BELKEN: You’re very patient, Hapley.
(Hapley barks twice)
PALANA BELKEN: Oh! Right when we said that. Come here!
In Dover, at the syringe exchange, I saw that leap Lauren is talking about many times. Hapley is a powerful, lovable ambassador.
One woman almost walks right by the folding table, but then she slowly approaches Hapley. She asks Palana, “Can I say hi?”
MEAGHAN: Can I say hi? How are you…
Her name is Meaghan. Dogs, she says, are her four-legged Xanax. Turns out she knows a lot about Weimaraners…
MEAGHAN: They're working dogs, so they need a job to do, and they’re very black and white they’re like, this is what I do and this is what I like to do. When they, um, have a big group of people, like, a big group of friends that hang out a lot or, like, you know, a family with kids and stuff, it keeps them busy because they're watching out for everyone.
Meaghan pets Hapley and talks to us for a bit about the doggie daycare she used to work at. There was a Weimaraner there named Buddy she really liked.
Palana kindly asks Meaghan, “Do you need something today?” Meaghan does, actually. She asks for syringes, a wound care kit, and a safe injection kit.
As Palana shuffles through her supplies, another couple sees Hapley. They can’t help but stop and scratch his ears.
MAN AND WOMAN: Good boy, good boy! Yeah. Good boy. Awww… Dogs are my life. Yeah…
Just another day at work for the Canine Engagement Officer.
MAN AND WOMAN: Hapley, you’re a good boy, kisses, good boy…
Lauren Chooljian, NHPR News.
