Rockingham Times

Portsmouth, NH – The Portsmouth Police Department has launched a new program in conjunction with Hero Pups, and powered by AT&T. This program is aimed at Officer Wellness and Victim Support – The Police Comfort Dog Program.
    A trained comfort dog and their handler are a precious asset to the Portsmouth Police Department. Unlike typical police K9s, used to locate drugs or track suspects, police departments use these dogs to ease the trauma for individuals impacted by violence, tragedy, or traumatic events. These dogs can maintain and increase department morale for officers and their families facing difficulties. In addition, they visit places like schools, nursing homes, and hospitals; attend community events; and be called upon whenever needed.

     The four-month-old Labrador retriever, Mason, like all our recruits, is in his version of the academy. He and his handler, Officer Michael Nicoli, are training with Hero Pups for the next few months, especially in the Portsmouth community, so please keep an eye out.

Later in the year, Mason will be assigned to the department full-time.

    After an inter-department vote for a name, Mason emerged as the winner. The name Mason was suggested in honor of Captain John Mason, coined as the “founder of New Hampshire.” Mason is a purebred black Labrador rescue and is currently four months old.

    Hero Pups, based in Exeter, NH, has a remarkable history of dedicated work with not only police departments but also with first responders and veterans. Hero Pups works primarily with shelter and rescue dogs. In 2018, Hero Pups expanded to include training comfort dogs for local police departments. The community's support has been crucial as Hero Pups has grown in the first six years, allowing them to stay an all-volunteer organization. Hero Pups has paired 191 dogs with local veterans and first responders.

"We are thrilled to work with the Portsmouth PD and AT&T to bring a comfort dog to the city.  This department has found another way to help its community and staff.  Officer Nicoli is the perfect person to be the handler for this pup, and we look forward to working with him as we train Portsmouth's new comfort dog."

 Laura Barker, Founder, Hero Pups

    The Police Comfort K9 is being funded through a donation from AT&T, with no expense to the Department or City. FirstNet, powered by AT&T, is the first nationwide network dedicated to public safety and helps law enforcement, fire service, and EMS do their jobs safely and effectively. The FirstNet mission is to deploy, operate, maintain, and improve the first high-speed, nationwide wireless broadband network dedicated to public safety. This reliable, highly secure, interoperable, and innovative public safety communications platform will bring 21st-century tools to public safety agencies and first responders, allowing them to get more information quickly and helping them to make faster and better decisions.

“The dedicated women and men of Portsmouth PD are public safety’s first line of response. They deal with traumatic events, often one after another, daily. That’s where Mason comes in. With just a wag of his tail, this incredible pup will help decrease stress, boost morale, improve coping and so much more.” “As AT&T and FirstNet, our nationwide public safety network, work closely with first responders, we learned of the need for diverse resources. That’s why we support programs and partnerships that bring wellness tools directly to our local public safety heroes. And Hero Pups is truly making a difference by giving our first responders a tool unlike any other. We applaud Portsmouth PD for prioritizing officer health and wellness and for bolstering their ranks with this new four-legged recruit. With Mason on duty, Portsmouth certainly has a new best friend.”

Owen Smith, President, AT&T New Hampshire

    Mason has already spent quality time with department members and quickly became everyone’s favorite coworker. The entire department is excited to watch Mason grow.

    Mason will work with our officers and staff after dealing with traumatic incidents, difficult situations, or a bad day. His job is to help open the door for conversations and ensure all our men's and women's wellness needs are met, and they are ready to serve our community.  

Keep your eyes out during some of the upcoming PortsmouthNH400 events for Mason!

Original source can be found here.