Drobec’s Second Chance

by Renee DiNino

Officer Kristen Brousseau has been with the Connecticut Department of Corrections for 16 years as a correctional officer and K9 handler. Her current K9 partner is K9 Semper Fi, a 3-year-old golden retriever facility comfort dog for peer support within the department. You’ll find them paired together giving fellow law enforcement team members a mental health break from their daily duties and offering an opportunity to reduce stress and anxiety.

Although not her first canine partner, K9 Semper Fi is Brousseau’s first comfort canine assignment. Her first partner was K9 Drobec, a patrol dog certified by the Connecticut State Police K9 Unit. Drobec was a spectacular German shepherd. The two were assigned to the Department of Corrections K9 Unit from 2014 to 2023. Their roles and responsibilities were to patrol various correctional facilities throughout the state. They added a layer of safety and security to not only the incarcerated individuals, but to other law enforcement and staffing at the facilities.

“Over time, he ended up becoming my best friend; it got to a point when we worked together that we could predict each other’s every move,” Brousseau recalls what it was like working with K9 Drobec. “We were very in tune to each other. I could tell by the way his ears moved if someone was approaching us from behind. He was my protector and, in turn, protected everyone else.”

K9 Drobec had a very successful career. “We responded to several emergencies within the facilities where Drobec diffused what could have turned into a dangerous and volatile situation,” explains Brousseau. “There seemed to be a mutual respect and understanding of the capabilities of a patrol dog,” she says about when the incarcerated individuals would see them patrolling or called to a situation. “Even though Drobec was smaller than a typical shepherd, they always seemed to respect boundaries and his personal space.”

Training and working with a K9 partner takes its toll on the handler and the dog. There are countless hours of training and certification to keep both partners fresh and up to date with proper procedures. The role of a K9 handler is around the clock. The dog usually lives with the officer, goes to work with the officer and spends more time with the officer than most people in their lives.

“On or off duty, you’re always responsible for this trained working dog. The bond between Drobec and me was inseparable. Off duty, he was my constant companion. He was by my side through both of my pregnancies, and he welcomed them as part of his pack too,’’ says Broouseau. “Admittedly, I was nervous bringing my first child home thinking, ‘how is this going to work?’ He’s a trained police dog! He’s never been around a newborn before. He ended up being the most gentle, submissive dog for the children. It was if he knew he had to protect them too, because they were a part of me!”

The amazing K9 duo of Officer Brousseau and K9 Drobec worked for nine years. In that time, Brousseau became a part of the Connecticut K9 Olympics. She now sits on the committee to help organize the event each year at the Enfield Department of Corrections. This event is designed to let the public see the bond and the actual training drills K9 officers do as they compete in different categories in a friendly competition with all branches of law enforcement in New England.

“There is such a curiosity amongst the public about police dogs and what they see on TV. This event is an opportunity to see them and their capabilities in real life,” says Brousseau. She and Drobec won first place overall at the 2021 competition battling multiple teams from all over New England. In 2022, she and Drobec came in third place overall.

Brousseau and Drobec also did school demonstrations and many community outreach events to show the community exactly what they did together and how K9 Drobec was an important asset to law enforcement and her job. As Drobec was getting close to his retirement age, the idea of adding a comfort dog to the agency was brought to Brousseau’s attention.

“I knew that Drobec had served his time, and it was time for him to retire and enjoy his years a member of my family. It was decided that I would get a comfort dog and lay the foundation for a new program with a focus on peer support and community outreach. K9 Semper Fi came into my life in January of 2023. We quickly were put to work, even being called to other law enforcement agencies to help in times of crisis.”

Semper Fi and Drobec were buddies. However, Drobec wasn’t that thrilled at first about Semper Fi. He wasn’t too keen on sharing sticks and tennis balls, but they quickly grew to love each other as siblings do.

“One thing the public may not be aware of about retired working K9s is their aftercare,” says Brousseau. “Once a K9 retires from service, the financial obligations fall into the hands of the handler and their family. This comes at a very vulnerable time in a dog’s life—remember that these dogs have had a vigorous training life not typical of a house pet.”

This can leave many K9 handlers and their families at a loss when medical issues arise. Brousseau can speak from experience as Drobec was newly retired when he developed cancer and a serious episode where he had fluid around his heart. He was able to overcome this instance, but not without help. The cost of saving this hero’s life was over $6,000; Brousseau wasn’t ready to let him go if there was a chance of saving him. After many phone calls, The Hometown Foundation stepped in to help. Brousseau was able to bring him home and make his last days special and memorable.

They were spent with swimming, whip cream shots in the kitchen, and hanging out with his human siblings and Semper Fi. He had another episode, which she knew would be his last. “I still knew I had to try to save his life; on my way to the vet, I heard his breathing stop. I began doing CPR until I realized I was only prolonging his suffering and said goodbye,” Brouseeau sadly recalls.

It was not long after that moment, and because of the kindness and generosity of others, that Drobec’s Second Chance was born. “Drobec got a second chance in life after his first emergency, which gave me and my family the opportunity to say goodbye to him,” states Brousseau. “I know that many handlers like me may not be in the financial situation to do this. I wanted to help. So, in his honor and in a way to keep his name and memory alive, I decided to make it my mission to raise money so that no other Connecticut Department of Correction handler has to worry about medical expenses after their dogs retire. I strongly believe that these canines deserve the best preventative and medical care after their retire.”

While there is legislation being presented to have stricter laws to protect our working K9 teams, there are things we can do to help right now. There are ways we can say thank you to these brave working canines by supporting programs and organizations that will take on helping retired working dogs, such as Drobec’s Second Chance (instagram.com/drobecs_second_chance).

People and pets, when we’re kinder to animals, we’re kinder to people!