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WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS (WSIL) -- The Marion Police Department's new K-9 Cares Community Therapy Dog program is underway.

When News 3 first reported on this story in October 2021, officer Jason Plichta had just started to fundraise as the program relies on donations and no tax payer dollars.

He had plans to go down south and meet the new pup, and New 3 followed up to see how the trip went 

Plichta traveled to Brevard County, Florida in mid December for the Sheriff Department's Paws and Stripes College.

"I was so excited," the officer recalls. "I got pictures before I went down there so I knew what Gary looked like, but actually getting to meet him was awesome."

It wasn't all fun and games, the trip also meant going through K-9 therapy training with the three-and-a-half-year-old Llewellin Setter and Great Pyrenees mix. 

"We had to interview a 5-year-old child and see how that child would correlate and work with Gary while I'm talking to him," Plichta remembers about the training. "Will they be afraid of Gary. What will Gary do?" 

All the work was in preparation for the Marion Police Department's new K-9 Cares Community Therapy Dog program, spearheaded by Plichta. This aims to help children and adults who are victims or witnesses to a traumatic incident.

Gary has already been hard at work since arriving in town including consoling a woman during a burglary case.

"Someone went into her house who wasn't supposed to be there," Plichta says. "She started petting Gary and all of a sudden she's like 'I don't know why but right now I just feel happy.'"

The pup also calmed a student at a local elementary school who suffers from separation anxiety.

"The child was able to calm down a little bit and go back to class after hanging out with Gary for a few minutes," Plichta explains. "It's little things like that where we're in a school and a child can benefit just for a couple of minutes of meeting Gary." 

The K-9 is comfortable at the police department with his co-workers and the man who calls the shots Chief David Fitts, especially getting cozy in the chief's office.

"I really didn't know what to expect and when this big fur ball just came in and laid down on the floor," Chief Fitts says. "I was really surprised."

Fitts believes Gary can be an asset to his officers after a stressful call or going through something traumatic themselves.

"We can see some pretty ugly things honestly and usually when we're dealing with somebody it's not on their best day, so our officers have to deal with that," Fitts explains. "Then go home and try to process what they've dealt with and what they've seen, but still be husband, dad."

Fitts says his presence could also provide some stress relief to those who work behind the scenes like dispatch.

Plichta and Gary have already been visiting first responders throughout the city like Air Evac medics and firefighters as well as health care employees at Heartland Regional Medical Center. 

Fitts would also like to see Gary spend time with veterans, especially those diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress disorder. That includes 911 calls where an officer is responding to a vet whose PTSD is being triggered, and visiting the Marion VA Medical Center.

Chief Fitts was in the Army Reserves for six years and had family members who enlisted, so the military has shaped who he is today and wants to give back.

"Veterans are very near and dear to my heart, so anything we can do to help a veteran going through something," Fitts adds. "We're all about it and that's what we want to do." 

The chief and other top officers at the department have already talked with VA officials to make this a possibility in the near future. 

For now, Plichta and Gary plan on making additional stops at local schools and meeting with community groups to provide education on the program. 

"It's not going to relieve everybody's problems 24 hours a day," Plichta says. "But even if they get that instant gratification or instant release of stress that's what we're looking for with this." 

Maybe instead of man's best friend, Gary is Marion's best friend. 

For those looking to further the K-9 cares program, they can reach out to the Marion Police Department.