York Police Department Providing “Major” Comfort for the Community.
One of the latest additions to the York Police Department is a four-legged charmer with the name, Major. He’s a 12-week-old English Chocolate Lab with the job description, Comfort Dog.
Comfort Dogs are different from service dogs or emotional support animals. While service and emotional support animals are trained to help one person, Comfort Dogs are trained to assist the public and the community as a whole. Law Enforcement Comfort Dogs are utilized to help victims or witnesses of trauma, violent crimes, abuse, and first responders to help cope with the aftermath of difficult situations.
Major’s handler/partner/owner is Patrolman Michael Taddei. In a recent interview, Patrolman Taddei stated, “Statistics show that children who suffer trauma are 70% more likely to talk about their situation when they’re with a Comfort Dog. Recounting incidents during an interview with investigators can be difficult for victims, especially children, and a Comfort Dog provides a calming presence of support.”
It’s important to note that not every breed of dog makes for a good Comfort Dog and Officer Taddei did his research on finding the ideal breed and breeder to find the best candidate.
Boonefield Labradors of Rindge, NH was selected and according to Taddei, “I believe they are easily the best breeders for Comfort Dogs in our area. The care and knowledge they demonstrate is outstanding.” Boonefield Labradors breeds English Labradors that are known for their calm temperament and affection for people.
Although it’s easy to “ooh” and “ahh” over an adorable puppy, becoming an effective Comfort Dog does require training – for both the dog and the handler! So, when Major gets to be 15-16 weeks old, he and Officer Taddei will begin taking classes at the Hudson K9 Training Center in Nashua, NH. Together they will work on basic obedience, trust and socialization skills.
When asked about Major’s temperament and why he’s a good Comfort Dog candidate, Officer Taddei is quick to note Major’s “chill” personality and how comfortable he is being with strangers, how he’s not bothered by crowds and added that such things as loud noises like gunfire at the shooting range doesn’t bother him.
Major is also making major inroads into the York community as he has a very successful social media presence on Instagram and Tik Tok. “It’s been an overwhelming, positive reaction. He (Major) loves people, he loves coming to work. He’s just wired to help.” Said, Taddei. Major’s Instagram page can be found at https://www.instagram.com/majorthecomfortdog.
