Stow Police Department Welcomes New Therapy Dog to Help Promote Officer Wellness

STOW –- Police Chief Michael Sallese is pleased to announce a new addition to the department!

Maverick, the department’s first therapy dog, joined the department on Monday, April 28. Maverick is an eight-week-old yellow Labrador who was generously donated to the department by Foxbend Labs. Maverick will primarily be a station-based canine but will also be attending community events in the future.

Maverick’s training was donated by She’s a Keeper, of Stow, and Apple Country Animal Hospital, of Stow, is providing discounted veterinary services for Maverick. The program received additional funding from private donors.

“I strongly believe in wellness-based services for our department personnel,” said Chief Michael Sallese. “In this line of work, department personnel are often faced with stressful situations, whether these be stressful calls, scenes, etc. I feel it is incredibly important to make sure our personnel are given all the tools needed to help cope with these situations. Maverick is no exception to this. Having a therapy dog like Maverick available to our personnel to help decompress is a game changer for us. Although Maverick will be attending community events in the future, his primary focus is on wellness for our personnel. I am grateful to the Town Administration for their support of this program and we look forward to introducing Maverick to the community.”

Maverick’s handler will be the Stow Police Department’s Business Manager, Phoenix Dwyer. If you are interested in learning more about the program or looking to support it, please contact Phoenix Dwyer at pdwyer@stow-ma.gov.

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