A second chance at life has been given to two canines who were reportedly mistreated at the Black Rock Canines kennel in Naugatuck.
The young pups are currently working as support dogs for the community and Connecticut state police. Sarge and Chaplin, Connecticut State Police’s first two comfort dogs, are just a year old and respond to emergency situations and public gatherings.
According to Christine Jeltema, wellness coordinator, “dogs feel some form of tension or worry that an individual could be going through, and that’s the objective of them to be there with the individuals to bring them comfort.” “To enable someone to unwind and sort of concentrate on themselves.”
After a sad incident in May, according to Jeltema, the dogs were donated to the state police. At a training facility in Naugatuck, a number of canines, including Sarge and Chaplin, were allegedly mistreated. At the same location, other people were killed.
They are currently working alongside support troops in a setting that one supporter of animal law claimed would be ideal for them.
According to Linda Pleva, vice president and treasurer of Desmond’s Army, “there’s also a degree of comfort, tranquility, and confidence that those animals get in a loving environment, and so, you know, given all of that, they are able to calm down and be loyal, happy dogs who are willing to give back.”
Chaplin has already responded to a number of crises. One instance occurred last month at the scene of a murder-suicide involving an Avon police officer in East Granby.
As soon as I arrived, it allowed the troopers and investigators to divert from their usual tasks and concentrate on the dogs, according to Valdes.
Support dogs are essential for troops’ mental health in stressful situations, according to Trooper Rodney Valdes.
It’s crucial to us now to have these animals come around, according to Valdes, because neither we nor they were given the chance to escape those trauma-related stressors.
Sarge, on the other hand, is quickly rising to the status of a minor local celebrity.
He sat next to me while I sang the National Anthem; he did not sing himself, but he did participate in the dream ride, according to Trooper Donna Saborin.
Sarge will tour schools across the state and attend the Big E as state police support DARE programming.
Whether you like animals or not, wanting to pet a dog just makes everyone happy, according to Saborin. “Just to watch the community interact with animals is heartwarming,” Saborin added.