Apollo did not spend his seventh birthday chasing squirrels or sleeping through the day, though both rank high on his list of favorite things. Instead, the Labradoodle marked the occasion by doing what he does best at American Medical Response Clark County: sitting calmly, accepting pets, and offering quiet comfort to the people who need it most.
Apollo turned seven last week on Tuesday, Dec. 23. He is a certified therapy dog with AMR and works alongside his handler and caretaker, Paramedic Supervisor Kanessa Thompson. The pair live in La Center and spend most workdays together at AMR’s Hazel Dell office, where Apollo has become a familiar and welcome presence for crews returning from difficult calls.
Thompson has been with AMR for 18 years, and Apollo has been her partner-in-crime for most of his life. What started as a request from leadership to help with community relations has grown into a partnership that now reaches hospitals, disaster zones, and memorials across the country.
“(When) a typical day starts, we get up, we get ready for work, and sometimes I have to peel Apollo out of bed, but we come into the operation,s and he has a routine,” Thompson said. “The first thing he does when we get here, I let him upstairs. He comes upstairs and sees our administrative assistant. She gives him treats. He goes up and says hi to everyone and comes back down. And, we spend our day in the supervisor's office, and crews come in and out, and they get to interact with Apollo.”
Apollo was trained from an early age, starting obedience work at just weeks old and earning his therapy dog certification around his first birthday. Thompson said his temperament made him a natural fit for the work. Calm, patient and unfazed by noise or crowds, Apollo is known for staying relaxed even when children tug at his paws or tail.
“As far as his temperament goes, this is it,” she said. “He's a pretty, he's a pretty easy dog, laid back. The only things that really get him excited are squirrels. And other dogs.”
Much of Apollo’s work involves simply being present and calm. Crews pet him, sit with him or rest a hand on his back after emotionally heavy calls. Thompson said she has repeatedly seen Apollo serve as a bridge for conversations that might never have happened otherwise.
“I have witnessed this firsthand, like you have the grumpiest burnt, I don't wanna say burnt out, just one of the more veteran employees who they don't really like to open up or talk about things, and we've noticed bringing Apollo in,” she said. “I've had some of those paramedics come in and pet Apollo and then just start opening up and talking about things. It could be call-related. It could be anything, and they just get all that stuff off their chest.”
Apollo also has a habit that handlers and coworkers have learned to trust. Without prompting, he often gravitates toward people carrying fresh grief or stress, even when no one else in the room knows it yet.
“It's interesting sometimes in those situations he will gravitate towards other people more than others,” Thompson said. “There is no specific training on how to do that. It's just something that he has done, even from day one, he just gravitates towards the people that need them most.”
One of the most meaningful moments came during the National EMS Memorial, an event honoring emergency responders who died in the line of duty. Thompson said families from across the country gathered, many carrying very recent grief, and Apollo moved through the room without direction.
“We were just down, sitting in a room and families were welcome to come in and Apollo went over to this one lady, I think she was in her early twenties, family was with her and she didn't talk much,” Thompson said. “He just walked over there and laid down next to her and she just sat with him and started petting him and started crying and we just assumed it was because, you know, this is an emotional event. Well, it turns out she had just lost her loved one days prior.”
That sensitivity also carried through during response work in North Carolina last year after Hurricane Helene, as Apollo and Thompson spent two weeks embedded at a base camp supporting emergency crews as they waited for assignments or returned from difficult work.
“We were over there for two weeks … and we would spend more than 12 hours at the main camp where all of our crews were,” Thompson said. “So, having Apollo there, I got numerous reports back saying, ‘Thank you, I needed that so much. This has been really stressful because we're not going out yet.’”
At home, Apollo’s role shifts from therapy dog to devoted companion. Thompson said their time apart is minimal and his favorite place to unwind is as close to her as possible.
“He truly thinks he's a lap dog,” she said. “When I sit on the couch with me, he sits right on top of me.”
After years of watching Apollo support others through trauma and loss, Thompson said working with him has changed how she views both her job and everyday problems.
“It's been a really humbling experience,” she said. “It helps shed a different light on things, and I can use it on a personal level and a professional level to try to help people through a tough time.”
Apollo’s birthday was celebrated at the office with cupcakes, photos and extra attention from staff.
