Crime & Safety

Needham PD Adds Community Resource Dog To Force

For the Needham Police Department, the dog days have just started and they're looking pretty cute.

Samantha Mercado's profile picture
Samantha Mercado, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
The department was able to bring the dog onto the force through funding from the Norfolk DA’s office.
The department was able to bring the dog onto the force through funding from the Norfolk DA’s office. (Renee Schiavone/Patch)

NEEDHAM, MA — Needham Police Department welcomed a furry new recruit — a community resource dog. Needham was one of four departments to receive funding from the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office for the dog.

The Golden Retriever puppy was bred by Golden Opportunities for Independence in Walpole and will be trained with his handler in the department by the organization as well.

The pup's main job includes helping to de-escalate situations, engaging with vulnerable and withdrawn members of the community, interacting with community members suffering from mental health or stress issues, comforting victims and witnesses of violence and promote police-community engagement.

Find out what's happening in Needhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to [email protected].

More from Needham