Meet Willowbrook: The Tiny Therapy Dog With a Giant Mission
Last year, a Goldendoodle named Officer Kora touched hearts nationwide when she became the First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award winner. This year, the honor goes to a much smaller, but equally mighty, hero: Willowbrook, the smallest therapy dog serving with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD). Alongside her handler, Jennifer Stott, Willowbrook has spent the past two and a half years proving that even the tiniest among us can make the biggest difference.
A two-time Top 10 Finalist before finally claiming the 2025 title, Willowbrook’s story begins not in a training facility or academy, but in a fight for her life.
From a One-Pound Survivor to a Symbol of Strength
Rescued as a one-pound puppy battling life-threatening parvo, Willowbrook was not expected to survive. “She dropped from just over a pound to under one,” Jennifer recalled. “But she had that look of a fighter. The whole vet’s office was cheering when she pulled through.”
When Willowbrook first came home, Jennifer wasn’t yet thinking about therapy dog work. She had just transitioned from a long career in retail to a civilian position with the Sheriff’s Department. But one day, while visiting her former colleagues in the LAPD Mounted Unit, she met a therapy dog team and was inspired.
“…our deputies are seeing so much trauma. Why don’t we have therapy dogs?”
That question became the spark for what would grow into LASD’s countywide therapy dog program.
Through the Blue Line Dogs organization, Jennifer and Willowbrook began training. The pair quickly stood out, not only because Willowbrook was the department’s smallest therapy dog, but also because of her fearlessness amid flashing lights, sirens, and heavy gear.
Their training mimicked real first responder environments: gun range sounds, emergency vehicle sirens, and recruits shouting cadence nearby. “We don’t go to active scenes,” Jennifer explained, “but we go to command posts, crisis debriefings, and anywhere first responders need us.”
Doing “Big Things” in the Face of Disaster
In January 2025, when more than eight major wildfires erupted across Southern California, including the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires, Willowbrook was there.
For 24 straight days, Willowbrook and fellow therapy dogs rotated between command centers, staging areas, and dispatch hubs, working with firefighters, search and rescue teams, the National Guard, and law enforcement. “We’d go wherever we were needed,” Jennifer said. “Our motto was: no call goes unanswered.”
Even the most hardened responders couldn’t help but smile when they saw the little dog in her tactical vest. Many tucked her trading card into their hats or dashboard as a reminder of home, family, and hope. “They’d say, ‘When we’re out on the lines, it reminds us that someone’s waiting for us back at base,’” Jennifer said, sharing that oftentimes, before being reunited with their families back home, it was Willowbrook who would greet the first responders at the base after their calls.
Healing Through Connection
At just six pounds, Willowbrook’s size makes her uniquely approachable. “You see these big, tough guys go from ‘I don’t need a therapy dog’ to ‘Where’s Willow? Why isn’t she here today?’” Jennifer said with a smile.
Willowbrook’s presence has helped open conversations about mental health in the first responder community. “There’s still stigma,” Jennifer noted. “But when she walks in, barriers drop. People talk, they connect. It’s incredible.”
She’s often invited into training classes about dispatcher stress or suicide prevention, where her presence immediately shifts the tone. “They’ll say, ‘We can learn with the dog here, this is when we need the dog,’” Jennifer said.
More Than a Dog: A Partner in Healing
Willowbrook and Jennifer’s work is more than comfort visits. Each therapy handler is trained in psychological first aid, crisis response, and even CPR, both for humans and animals. “We have to take care of ourselves to care for others,” Jennifer said. “Secondary traumatic stress is real.”
Willowbrook’s intuition often leads her to those who need her most. Jennifer shared moments when she’s comforted first responders during debriefings, sometimes curling up in their laps or gently nudging them to remind them they’re not alone.
“She knows when she’s done,” Jennifer said softly. “After a hard call, she’ll walk up to me, look at me, and it’s like she’s saying, ‘I’ve done my job.’”
A Growing Legacy
In just two years, Willowbrook has visited nearly 20,000 first responders across LASD and neighboring agencies, including LAPD, LAFD, CHP, VPD, SGPD, FBI, and the District Attorney’s Office. She holds the AKC Therapy Dog “Supreme” title, the organization’s highest, and even, along with her handler, earned the Presidential Points of Light Gold Award for Volunteerism, signed by President Biden.
Her recruitment video became the top law enforcement video in the nation, inspiring new recruits and entire therapy dog programs across the country. “We’ve had people join the department because of her,” Jennifer said.
Willowbrook’s Do Big Things Recruitment Ad for LASD
What’s Next for Willowbrook?
Jennifer plans to use the First Responder Paws Award funds to strengthen their mission. “We’re building up field packs for handlers with supplies such as solar chargers and hand warmers, so they can keep working even in tough conditions,” she explained.
She’s also organizing wellness events, bringing therapy dogs to LASD headquarters for staff to decompress and connect.
And yes, Willowbrook plushies are already in production — tiny, smiling replicas of a dog who’s touched thousands.
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The Legacy of “Doing Big Things”
From a one-pound rescue to a national hero, Willowbrook’s story is one of resilience, compassion, and service. “She’s proof that no matter how small you are, you can make a huge difference,” Jennifer said.
Her motto, “Do Big Things,” has become more than a catchphrase. It’s a reflection of what Willowbrook represents: hope, healing, and the reminder that kindness, even in the smallest form, can change the world.
