Rookie, Springfield College’s first comfort dog, reports for snuggles – MassLive.com

Springfield College introduces new comfort dog "Rookie"
SPRINGFIELD — Rookie, the newest member of the Springfield College Department of Public Safety, spent much of his first day on the job falling asleep.
The 8-week-old miniature Australian Labradoodle is the first official public safety comfort dog for Springfield College. At a Tuesday event welcoming his arrival, he was passed from arms to arms of admirers, his brown eyes blinking all the way.
Rookie will begin attending community events to spread joy, in addition to going on mental health calls to help de-escalate crises and provide comfort to students who may be going through emotionally trying times, college officials said.
Although Rookie will grow to be 20 to 30 pounds, he will be small enough to sit on someone’s lap during a crisis, said Steve Martel, a police officer who is Rookie’s handler.
“It is huge for the college, community and city as a whole,” Martel said. “We have plans to bring him into the schools, hospital and to community events across the city.”
The newcomer will begin puppy introduction training at Animal Alliance LLC in Northampton and eventually receive a full companion certification.
“Rookie will take every class Animal Alliance offers then go for certification,” Martel said. “There is a possibility that he will not get his certification to be a service dog on the first attempt, but we can continue classes and continue to try to pass the tests associated with getting certified.”
According to Martel, after attending a symposium about comfort dogs, he brought the idea to the college administration, including submitting a written proposal.
“A lot of the dogs doing this type of work are Labradors, Rookie is an Australian Labradoodle, which has all the outstanding qualities and characteristics of a Labrador in a hypoallergenic form,” Martel said.
Rookies’ arrival was made possible through a partnership with MiraVista Behavioral Health Center whose financial donation took a huge burden off the school, Martel told The Republican.
“MiraVista is so very pleased to support the college’s efforts to meet the emotional wellness needs of its students. Having a comfort dog to support students in times of mental health distress is incredibly reflective of our mission to deliver care reimagined,” said Kimberley Lee the chief of creative strategy and development at MiraVista Behavioral Health Center.
Fellow comfort canines already on duty with the Hampden Country Sheriff’s Department, the Springfield Police Department, and Harvard, Yale and Western New England universities also turned out to celebrate Rookie’s debut.
According to the Massachusetts Office on Disability, a therapy animal is trained to provide emotional support to a wide range of people, typically in hospitals, nursing homes and schools.
“There is a greater need for comfort dogs in todays climate,” Martel said. “Mental health needs have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and a comfort dog is a tool to help reduce stress and anxiety during a mental health crisis.”
Martel said Rookie was a donation from a breeder in Vermont.
Once the proposal received the OK, all that was left to do was to decide a name, which came down to a campus and community effort and was announced during Tuesdays event.
With over 8,000 participants casting votes on five names — Rookie, Hobbes, Nesmith, Maximus and Obi — the name Rookie was favored with over 7,000 votes. The name Hobbes came in second with over 1,000 votes.
Frank, a comfort dog from Greenfield, also a newcomer who loves to untie shoes, was at the college with his handler Matthew Llewelyn, an officer with the Greenfield Police Department, celebrating Rookie’s introduction.
The 10-week-old, 21 pounds chocolate Labrador has been with Llewelyn since Veterans Day and getting himself acclimated during the event.
“He lives with me, and we will start his basic obedience classes in the next couple of weeks,” Llewelyn said. “He already goes to work with me everyday, so everyday is training and my shift changes all the time, so his working hours shift every day.”
The impact of comfort dogs like Rookie and Frank is already and will continue to be widely felt, at a time when people need it most, Martel said.
“Look at all the people here smiling,” Martel said. “They love him already.”
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