Renton police welcome a new wellness program dog and a K-9 unit dog
Published 5:30 am Friday, April 17, 2026
If officers are in a ruff spot, Renton police have two new dogs who can help people emotionally or assist in a dangerous situation.
At the April 13 Renton City Council meeting, Renton Police Department (RPD) Chief Jon Schuldt introduced two of the department’s new dogs, Oakley and Jager. Oakley is a two-year-old English yellow lab wellness program dog and the sister and littermate of the other wellness program dog, Wally. Jager is a K-9 unit dog who already has some merits under his belt.
In March 2025, RPD introduced Wally, the first wellness program dog, and Schuldt said that things have gone so well with Wally that they decided to add Oakley to the program, giving the program seven days a week coverage. Oakley’s handler is RPD Officer David Daugherty, and Oakley will live with him and his family.
“Oakley and Officer Dougherty completed training last month and have already seen success in helping to calm an autistic child at Liberty Park who was in crisis,” Schuldt said. “Oakley and David will be a valuable addition to our department’s wellness program.”
According to RPD spokesperson Meeghan Black, the RPD wellness program supports officers as a whole person, covering fitness, mental health and overall resilience. Some of the support services deployed within the department include a peer support team and a mental health professional available to address any needs that arise.
“The wellness dog program was added in 2025. Emotional support animals are known to reduce stress and calm situations,” Black said. “Both our wellness dogs are trained to detect PTSD and will engage with a person showing signs of stress. This includes officers, department and city employees, and the community.”
Oakley and Wally both wear vests that say “Pet me,” to encourage engagement with the community. Black said people can spot the dogs at retirement communities, social gatherings and community engagement events. She added that the dogs joyfully spread and accept love.
Regarding qualifications, Black said that the department bought Oakley from Cascade Service Dogs, where she participated in a certification program and training. Black said that buying Oakley with her certification cost $6,000, and those funds came from accreditation funds that RPD was awarded. Accreditation funds support the department’s accreditation standards and the department’s wellness program.
Black said that Oakley and Wally really enjoy spending sibling time together, but they work opposite days, so it’s sometimes difficult to get them together.
Regarding the other new working dog in the department, RPD added Jager, a 22-month-old German Shepherd generalist K-9 from the Netherlands. Jager’s handler is RPD Officer Jaren Jokela, and Jager will live with him, as all dogs in the department live with their handler.
Schuldt said the mission of a generalist K-9 is to locate suspects attempting to escape arrest, find discarded evidence, and, through their enhanced abilities of scent, provide specialized support to improve police efforts.
Schuldt said that Jager and his handler completed training with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office in January and got their first successful capture that same month. Black stated that Jager cost $16,000 and that, in addition to Jager, RPD has one other generalist K-9 named Xander.
“Jager has successfully captured suspects, including a person who fled from a DUI crash in Tukwila,” Black said. “Our K-9 handlers will respond to outside agencies when needed.”
