The newest member of the Hyattsville police department is a two-year-old Labrador and golden retriever mix named Nola.
The department received Nola free of charge from California-based nonprofit service dog provider Canine Companions for Independence in mid-November.
Since then, she’s become the star of an Instagram account, where she’s picked up hundreds of followers.
Working with Acting Cpl. Chris Evans, Nola comforts kids in crisis situations and serves as a community ambassador for the police department’s Community Action Team — which, yes, spells CAT.
“Most kids are too timid to speak to police officers, so we can bring Nola into the picture where they are comfortable to talk to Nola,” Evans said in a recent segment on NBC Washington.
But she also spends time playing with officers and city employees to reduce their stress and goes out into the community to join events like a free food distribution.