On Monday, April 6, 2020 in a ceremony held in the office of the Chief of Police; K-9 Brody was officially sworn in as a member of the Bristol Police Department. K-9 Brody’s role will be that of a Comfort and Therapy dog.
K9 Brody is the first Comfort and Therapy dog for the Bristol Police Department; he is also the fourth comfort and therapy dog to be utilized by police departments in the state. The other communities utilizing comfort dogs in their respective police departments are Cranston, Pawtucket and Providence.
K-9 Brody’s name is a mix of two words; the “B” represents Bristol, the “rody” represents Rhode Island.
K9 Brody is a full bred Chocolate English Labrador Retriever and he was donated to the town by Boonefield Labradors in Rindge, New Hampshire. Boonefield Labradors have an excellent and well respected reputation for breeding comfort and therapy dogs.
Over the coming year, K9 Brody, assisted by his handler; School Resource Officer Keith Medeiros will be a Comfort Dog in Training.
Once he’s fully trained, K9 Brody’s job will be that of providing a soothing environment to people during investigations. He’ll also help to reduce anxiety and stress for citizens, witnesses and investigators. Brody will also be working with Officer Medeiros in the Bristol Warren Regional School District and will be involved in school activities.
Additionally, Brody will also be visiting the Rhode Island Veteran’s Home, Rogers Free Library, the Bristol Senior Center, Roger Williams University and many other establishments in the community.
The Town of Bristol would like to thank the following benefactors; for if it were not for their dedication and generosity, this program would not have come to fruition:
- Peggy & Dave Brogan – Boonefield Labradors located in Rindge, New Hampshire.
- Bristol County Elk’s Lodge #1860
- Wade R. Cordy, DVM – Harbor Animal Hospital for providing veterinary services
- Jessica Geas – Petrichor K9 Training
- Brett and Sherri DeChaine, Jocelyn and Lori – Woof! Woof! Pet Boutique and Biscuit Bar
- Officer Brad McNamara and K9 Hank of the Lunenburg Police Department, Lunenburg, Massachusetts
- Officer Nathan Hawkins and K9 Merle of the Westminster Police Department, Westminster, Massachusetts
For up to date information on K9 Brody’s progress; follow him on his social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook.
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