York police welcomes new comfort pup Major: He's going to be 'big part' of the community

YORK, Maine — Pretty soon, a new tail will be wagging around the halls of the York Police Department.

Major, an eight-week-old English Labrador retriever, is undergoing training to be the department's new comfort dog to help ease the stress of trauma victims and officers. He will assist with investigations and provide emotional support to those who need it.

“So far, he’s the ... calmest, easy-going puppy we’ve ever seen,” said York police officer Michael Taddei, who will serve as Major’s handler.

Comfort dogs are a growing trend in police departments around the region. York introduced its first comfort dog, Yukon, last year, but the husky was forced to retire due to a medical condition.

Why a police comfort dog?

York Police Chief Owen Davis said they got the idea to bring on a comfort dog after seeing the success Greenland, New Hampshire, police had with their dog, Willow.

Comfort dogs are different from police K9 units, which are deployed alongside officers to help apprehend suspects and assist in missing persons and narcotic investigations.

Comfort dogs, he said, are trained specifically to stay calm and help others be calm as well.

At the time, Davis said adding a comfort dog was part of his initiative to improve mental health resources for community members and officers.

However, the program came to a halt in March after it was revealed Yukon had a seizure disorder that would prevent him from doing his job. The dog was with a student in one of the local schools when he had a seizure, possibly triggered by stress, according to his handler, Detective Jamie Robie. The dog was consequently adopted by Robie as her new family pet while the department continued its search for Yukon’s replacement.

More: York County substance use recovery center project clears first hurdle in Alfred

York PD excited about 'newest, four-legged addition'

Tuesday morning, York police made an announcement on Facebook about their “newest, four-legged addition.” They included a photo of Major, born Sept. 10.

Major comes from Boonefield Labradors of Rindge, New Hampshire, according to Taddei. The breeder works to produce dogs as comfort and therapy animals, he said.

Having grown up with Labradors, Taddei said Major's breed is a perfect fit for his new role.

“They have an unbelievable temperament,” Taddei said.

Major lives with Taddei in his home, and he will continue to live with Taddei when he is not on duty at the department. Taddei said he expects Major to begin training when he is 15 or 16 weeks old.

When Major is finished with training, Taddei said the dog will be an effective member of the police force. For example, he said statistics show that children who suffer trauma are 70% more likely to talk about it when next to a comfort dog.

Taddei also runs the department’s social media and participates in several community policing initiatives, such as the department's safety course for business owners. He said Major will be helpful in general outreach and looks forward to seeing him in action.

“This is perfect for that,” Taddei said. “He’s going to be a big part of our community engagement.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: York, Maine police welcomes new comfort dog Major