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Date: 9/20/2023
BELCHERTOWN — The Belchertown Police Department has hired a new furry friend named Oliver for its comfort dog program.
Oliver is a full breed black Labrador that came from Boonefield Labradors in New Hampshire.
Police Chief Kevin Pacunas explained that the program is going to help build trust in the community by being present at community policing events.
He added, “Everybody wants to come up and pet a dog, it spurs conversation. It can be school incidents, mental illness calls, motor vehicle accidents, victim interviews where you have a victim that’s not sure if they want to talk. You bring the comfort dog in, and they start to feel more comfortable.”
Police officer Valerie Austin will be the handler for Oliver, and she said he is excited to get to work with him.
“The program is to have him here and be a presence. I am super excited. The chief was very open when I approached him about the program. Boonefield Labradors breed for comfort and therapy so once I got the green light from [Chief Pacunas] we started the process, and it went really fast,” she added.
Austin said she currently works under a grant that assists victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and Oliver has already been used in an interview.
“He will be used in that capacity during interviews. We have a mental health clinician here. If she needs him where she sees fit to have him go out and visit with some of her clients in town. We have civilian domestic violence advocates, so he is available for them,” Austin said.
She added, “We had an interview with a victim of a sexual assault and [Oliver] was fantastic. Seeing the difference in having him here and having interviews in the past not having him, I feel like it opened the communication with everybody that was in the room and he brought a calming environment.”
Austin said she and Oliver will also try to be at community events like the upcoming Belchertown Fair to get him familiar with people and the town.
Austin reported that Oliver has been fantastic since getting him on Sept. 5 and even added that he now sleeps through the night and is excited to go to work everyday by running through the doors of the department.
“I think he has been really great for just inside the department. Everyone is excited to see him. We try to do one little thing a day just because he is so small and gets tired,” Austin said.
Oliver has been busy and has already visited the courthouse, Town Hall and will be visiting the Belchertown schools this month.
Austin said she and Oliver have also been meeting with Denise Cook from Harmony Acres Personalized Dog Training once a week to teach him his name, potty training, lease position, sitting and eye contact.
Austin is responsible for all of Oliver’s expenses and there are planned fundraisers to help cover some costs.
“It is no cost to the town, taxpayers or the department,” Austin added.
Austin added that the Belchertown Animal Relief Committee has agreed to pay for Oliver’s pet insurance.
“I am super excited and happy that they trusted me to start this new program and I look forward to working with all the other comfort dogs in the area,” Austin concluded.
To follow of his adventures, you can check out Oliver’s Facebook page called Oliver Belchertown Police Comfort Dog.