Pup provides emotional support for Farmington Police Department

FARMINGTON—There’s a new officer snooping around the Farmington Police Station. He has a wet nose and is prone to licking anyone’s face who will let him. Snoop is the newest addition to the police force. The Bernedoodle arrived on Christmas Day and has been keeping everyone happy ever since.

“We hadn’t talked in depth about getting a dog but I’d floated the idea,” said Farmington Police Chief Eric Johnsen. “The records ladies were all for it. I was with the command staff sitting around chit chatting and someone said ‘what do you think about getting a dog like for emotional support?’”

Johnsen said his own children had been wanting to get a dog. “That sped up the process because that conversation was going on at my house.”

He started looking at KSL. But Bernedoodles are an expensive breed,” said Johnsen. “I found one in Tremonton for $600. I decided to take a flier and I texted him (Jeffery Poulton) and told him who I was and asked if he’d be interested in donating a dog.”

Johnsen said he wanted a dog big enough and hearty enough to withstand police department roughhousing. “It also had to be non shedder and hypoallergenic. His dog was perfect.”

It was Christmas Eve morning when they talked so Johnsen didn’t expect to hear back from him. “But I got a call from him saying he was headed to Ogden with his pups and would donate one and let me pick. I wanted Snoop, like Snoopy or Snoop Dog. It was more of a gut instinct.”

On Christmas Day, Johnsen brought him down to the lobby. “Everybody likes him,” he said. “I take him home ev-

By Becky Ginos | becky.g@davisjournal.com

ery night so he can get potty trained. He probably won’t be ready to be at the station full time for four months or so.”

Snoop is very attached to him, said Johnsen. “Officers will play with him but then he sits under my desk. He trots around and goes everywhere I go.”

The goal is for him to be a positive distraction for the guys, he said. “Who doesn’t like a dog to greet them? We’re adjacent to Woodland Park so we can throw a leash on him and go for a walk. It’s a win-win for everybody.”

Johnsen said other chiefs have reached out to him about getting a dog too. “They’ve been considering it but were too nervous to take a leap. Firehouses have dogs but not police departments. Sometimes chiefs of police don’t think outside the box. I’m trying not to be that guy.”

All too often the police are surrounded in negativity, he said. “I want them to be as excited to come to work as I am. I’m encouraging that relationship with Snoop so they’ll be excited to come to the office if it’s only to see Snoop.” l

Got cake? Jonah does!

By Alisha Copfer | alisha.c@davisjournal.com

When most kids get bored, they reach over and pick up the nearest electronic device. But not Jonah. Jonah makes cake. From cake pops to donuts to a twotiered birthday cake, Jonah’s favorite challenge is what to make next.

“During the pandemic, I got bored at home, so I started helping with the cooking,” Jonah said. His mom, Jessica Lazarre, was always looking for new recipes to try at home, as both of the kids have food allergies. Each kid, Jonah and his sister, are allergic to milk, nuts and a couple of other common ingredients. Jessica would sometimes get frustrated when she needed a cake or other baked goods since most of these sweets contain allergens.

About a year after he started cooking, Jonah decided to start baking cookies. Shortly after, he made his first cake. “I wanted to try to push my skills,” said Jonah. “So, why not try out baking a cake.” That’s when Jonah fell in love with the process. And, every cake he has made since has been allergen-friendly. “Mom was always looking for nut-free cakes for us,” he said.

“I use an old family recipe from the Great Depression,” said Jonah. Every ingredient he uses in his recipe is non-perishable. So, he uses vinegar as a binder and oil in place of butter. “There are other ingredients special to this recipe that make it creamy,” he said.

Jonah started by baking for bake sales, making cupcakes for his sister and having a lemonade stand where he would sell the cakes. Then he decided to step it up. “It’s been fun to make a business out of it,” said Jonah. He started filming his techniques and now has an Instagram

(@jonahs_got_cake), a YouTube and a TikTok account where he posts the videos.

He also worked up a marketing plan and made cake samples. He took these samples to his neighbors, family and friends. “I wanted to get the word out,” he said. Most of Jonah’s business comes from his neighbors and wordof-mouth advertising.

“There’s a lot special about this kid,” said Dwayne Lazarre, Jonah’s father. “He makes, bakes and sells cakes.” Dwayne also commented on Jonah’s excellent business sense and that he’s “super bright, friendly, fun and very ambitious.”

“He has great attention to detail,” said Jessica.

When Jonah isn’t baking, he likes to play basketball. He also started learning to play the acoustic guitar last year and really enjoys that. Another favorite activity Jonah likes is hanging out with his family. They play board games together, and one of the family’s favorites is “Operation.”

Jonah bakes everything from scratch and does all the fondant shapes and piping by hand. He makes two cake sizes, six-inch and eight-inch. The smaller size starts at $20 and will go up in price by adding in extras like fondant details, fresh fruit, flowers and fillings. The larger cakes start at $35 and go up for those extras. He has recently started making tiered cakes, especially one he made for his mother’s birthday. Jonah also makes cupcakes. All of these can be ordered from his social media pages or on his website at shop.bakesy.app/b/jonahs-got-cake. l

Everyyear in late December, the City Council is presented with the Annual Fiscal Audit Report through the fiscal year ending June 30. The 150-page report consists of management’s representations concerning the finances of Kaysville City. In accordance