Canine Colleagues: Dogs who work in Sarasota

For some, the job interview process included thousands of hours of training, while others only had to bat their puppy eyes. But all of these dogs work hard to bring home the milk bones.

Coti

Age: 3
Breed: German Shepard
Occupation: Sarasota Police Department K-9 unit; Coti’s responsibilities include tracking, article and building searches, handler protection and apprehension work.
“We went through a 5,080 hours in K-9 school,” said Nicholas Dominis, Coti’s SPD partner.
Once a week Dominis and Coti go through 10 hours of additional training with other K-9 units.
Fun Fact: At home, Coti lives with two boxers named Mako and Bella. While the other two get riled up when the mail carrier visits, Dominis says Coti pays no attention to the visitor.
“As soon as I put my uniform on he starts pacing by my back door and gets excited,” said Dominis. “He knows that he gets to sit in the car and ride around with me for 10 hours.”

Mimi

Age: 9  Breed: Miniature poodle
Occupation: Adoption assistant at Cat Depot; Mimi’s responsibilities include letting cats sniff her out and familiarize themselves with their canine colleagues.
Fun Fact: Mimi lives at home with Cat Depot Executive Director Shelley Thayer and three cats: T.T., Jasmine and Simba. When she’s not mingling with cats and kittens, Mimi is practicing tricks with volunteers like giving high-fives and lying down.
“She helps move those cats into homes with dogs that otherwise wouldn’t be adopted,” Thayer said.”The first time we introduced her to a cat here, one leaped down off a ledge and came charging toward her. I was nervous until the cat stopped short and kissed her all over.”

Gracie

Age: 3  Breed: Vizsla
Occupation: Therapy dog, happy-person maker; Gracie’s responsibilities include accepting hugs from children expressing difficult emotions and listening to children read.
Fun Fact: Gracie is named for owner Deb Kabinoff’s dear friend Graciela “Graci” McGillicuddy.
“When we first registered her as a therapy dog, I started going to nursing homes,” Kabinoff said. “Then we started taking her to children’s classes. She wagged her whole body. She saw those kids and could not believe her luck. She told me that she didn’t mind working in the nursing homes, but she loves working in the schools.”

Miss Fay

Age: 9
Breed: Black 
Labrador
Occupation: Avid reader and therapy dog; retired Southeastern Guide Dogs breeder. Her responsibilities include nodding along and nodding off while children read to her at Sarasota County Libraries.
Fun Fact: Miss Fay has mothered 2 litters of puppies for Southeastern Guide Dogs.