{"id":22849,"date":"2024-06-05T19:38:27","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T23:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom2\/2024\/06\/05\/summer-classes-going-to-the-dogs\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T12:02:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T16:02:32","slug":"summer-classes-going-to-the-dogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2024\/06\/05\/summer-classes-going-to-the-dogs\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Classes Going to the Dogs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Haverhill, MA (June 4, 2024) \u2013 Northern Essex Community College’s comfort dog Winnie<\/a> got a glimpse into her future on Tuesday. She was joined on the Haverhill Campus by comfort dogs from eight law enforcement agencies for a meet and greet sponsored by the Essex County Sheriff\u2019s Department.<\/p>\n

Tuesday\u2019s event was the first of three of these gatherings, which will include training for the officers and dogs, and will culminate in an obedience competition in the fall. Essex County Sheriff\u2019s Department Captain Laura Dow and the Department\u2019s facility dog handler Officer Christian Guzman spearheaded the effort to bring these dogs together.<\/p>\n

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Winnie welcomed her new friends<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a way for us to all to come together, to share stories and lessons learned, and see how we can best work together to share our comfort dogs with our communities in the best way possible,\u201d said Dow, who also heads the Department\u2019s K9 Unit. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of camaraderie among K9 officers and we want to continue to foster these relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

Comfort dogs have become an integral part of community policing and are often found helping in schools or care facilities, said Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger. He said this event was done to support these officers and dogs, as well as to provide some free training.<\/p>\n

For Coppinger, the decision to add a comfort dog to the Department was about helping Essex County communities, but also about taking care of employees.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing in law enforcement comes with unavoidable stress. When these dogs walk into our facilities, it lessens the burden a bit. It gives an officer who may be feeling overwhelmed a chance to breathe and receive a little love from a happy dog,\u201d Sheriff Coppinger said. \u201cIt\u2019s about officer wellness, but it\u2019s also a way for us to support our communities and bring these comfort dogs out in times of need, especially when tragedy strikes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles Young of Professional Canine Services of Middleborough provided training at Tuesday’s event. The trainings are made possible by a grant from Essex County Outreach, a collaborative effort of Essex County law enforcement agencies and the Essex County Sheriff\u2019s Department to combat substance use disorders and mental health matters.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a great event for all of us and our dogs,\u201d said Officer Guzman. \u201cThis is such a great crew of officers and these dogs are just the best. They can\u2019t help but make you smile.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attending the training were:<\/p>\n

Essex County Sheriff\u2019s Department Officer Christian Guzman and partner Pasky
\nPeabody Police SRO Eric Ricci and partner Ella
\nRockport Police SRO Mike Anderson and partner Luna
\nGloucester Police SRO Pete Sutera and partner Ace
\nManchester-by-the-Sea Police SRO Andrea Locke and partner Daisy
\nNorthern Essex Community College Police Lt. Keith Walker and partner Winnie
\nMassachusetts State Police Trooper Chad Tata and partner Luna
\nSwampscott Police SRO Brian Wilson and partner Sora
\nHamilton Police Officer Michael Girolimon and partner Luca<\/p>\n

Winnie officially joined the NECC family in April as a 9-week-old puppy. Once her training is complete, she will provide stress relief, calm nerves, and bring cheer to students, faculty, and staff.<\/p>\n

Information about Winnie, her schedule (once she\u2019s fully entered service), and more will be available on her webpage<\/a>. Her adventures are also documented on her Instagram page: @neccwinnie<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t\t