Heroes of a Different Breed

By Susan Gallagher, Staff Writer

The Weekly Sentinel January 19, 2024

The limelight is shining on a new breed of hero. Emerging from the shadow of the long-lauded German Shepherd, the faithful Labrador Retriever is making its own indelible mark on law enforcement.

Labradors lend their own special talents to the force. While their German Shepherd counterparts are used predominantly as patrol dogs, the Labrador’s acute sense of smell is invaluable in detecting drugs, explosives, and cadavers. They are renowned for their tenacity and their boundless desire to please. This versatile breed’s calm, friendly temperament also makes them perfect comfort dogs and community ambassadors.

The North Berwick Police Department recently welcomed one of these heroes to their ranks. Hutch (pictured), a Yellow Lab, is applying his exceptional sense of smell to his vital role as drug-detection dog. His handler, Officer Patrick Roy, beams when speaking of his new four-legged sidekick. “I call him my partner,” he says. “Absolutely.” The two are inseparable. “He’s my guy,” Roy says with pride. “He goes with me everywhere.”

Just a year old, Hutch is still in the last vestiges of puppyhood. Nonetheless, he is already hard at work. Officer Roy says, “He has a job to do, but I need to let him be a puppy as well and get that energy out.” While Hutch lives at home with Roy, the officer manages to balance the Lab’s dual status as pet and partner. In either case, protecting this valiant dog comes first. Officer Roy takes great care to ensure the safety of a traffic stop scene before putting his canine partner in harm’s way. "His safety,” he says, “is my first priority.”

While a dog’s sense of smell is an incredible ten thousand times more sensitive than a human’s, Hutch relies on more than natural ability to perform his duties. He and Officer Roy attended the Maine State Police 10-week K-9 Drug School. “We went through it together,” Roy says. He admits, “It was more strenuous than I expected. It was a very eye-opening experience.” This intense training began with basic obedience and progressed to drug detection. Hutch is trained to detect meth, crack, cocaine, and heroin. These remarkable dogs are disciplined to stay focused on the scent they are searching for and disregard other distracting odors.

Amidst the tragic increase in drug addiction and overdoses over the last few years, Officer Roy is diligent in his work. He says respectfully of these drug-detecting canines, “I think they’re the best tool we have.” Roy is driven to fight this troubling trend in overdoses. “Even if you confiscate one gram of drugs,” he says, “that’s something somebody can’t use and potentially overdose on.” He adds, “It’s very rewarding to get drugs off the streets.”

Officer Roy is grateful for the chance to make a difference. “I love my job,” he declares. I wouldn’t want to do anything else.” A first-time handler, he says that working with his dog partner makes it even better. Hutch obviously agrees. “He definitely loves his job too,” Roy says with a smile.

Hutch’s olfactory talents are not the only reason his Labrador breed was chosen. His innate calmness and love of people are perfect for community outreach and engagement. Officer Roy stresses that drug detection is this dog’s main job. “He’s a rock star at what he does,” he says.

Roy gets surprised reactions to his atypical Labrador police dog. “People are shocked to see a Yellow Lab in my cruiser,” he says. But Officer Roy knows this special breed has found a niche in law enforcement that is as crucial as any other. His loyal, intuitive canine partner is saving lives.

Meanwhile, across the county, another Labrador is saving lives in a different way.

York Police Department’s newest and most popular recruit is Major the Comfort Dog. A four-month-old Chocolate Lab, Major is a unique kind of hero. He is a champion of the victim and the traumatized. Officer Mike Taddei is Major’s handler. “His one role,” he says, “is comfort dog. His main focus is to be with victims.”

Comfort dogs, the police term for therapy dogs, differ from emotional support and service dogs, which are trained to serve one person. Comfort dogs are tasked with helping the general public. Officer Taddei is quick to point out that this dog needs to be as brave as any regular police dog. “He needs to be brave in different ways,” he says.

Major plays a crucial role in police work, and much is expected of him. He is charged with helping victims in the aftermath of a traumatic situation, whether it be a violent crime, a car accident, or a natural disaster. “He must meet with victims who have just had the worst experience of their lives, and help them through that,” Taddei explains. “That takes bravery.”

One very special assignment for Major is working with victims of child abuse and elder abuse. His calming presence comforts these victims during investigators’ interviews. Victims of abuse are often reluctant to speak openly of their personal horrors, but studies show that abused children are 70% more likely to discuss the abuse when a dog is in the room. “Dogs,” Taddei says, “are the perfect animal for us in these cases.”

In addition to aiding the public, Major supplies much needed support for the officers themselves in the aftermath of traumatic crime scenes. “When you meet with a dog,” Taddei declares, “Everything just washes away and gets better.”

The busy Labrador also employs his charming personality for community engagement at schools and events. Taddei smiles broadly as he describes the reaction Major gets. “People are so excited to meet him,” he says. "You can’t bring him into a room and not have someone fall in love with him.” He adds, “Having him at York PD has lifted everyone’s spirits through the roof.”

Major was not chosen randomly for his special job. This pup was bred by Boonefield Labradors in Rindge, NH. Here, he was bred specifically for the calmness required of a therapy dog and rigorously tested for temperament. As for training, Taddei says, “So far, we’re both going through this and learning from each other.” They will soon be attending formal comfort dog training.

Like their North Berwick counterparts, Officer Taddei and Major share a complex relationship. While Taddei is the dog's handler, he also shares his home with him. Taddei manages to reconcile their working relationship with that of master and pet. "I take his role very seriously," he says. "Yes, he is a pet but he's also my partner. I need to make sure he's safe." He adds with emphasis, "First and foremost, he is my partner."

Law enforcement’s Labrador Retrievers may be getting more attention these days, but the best-known icon of K-9 policing remains the German Shepherd. This breed’s bravery and dedication is unsurpassed. Leading the Shepherd charge is Wells Police Department’s dynamic duo of Bacchus and Atlas, one a seasoned veteran, the other a bright-eyed rookie.

Bacchus, the veteran, has been with his handler, Sergeant Adam Shaw, since he was nine months old. Now a pro at seven, his duties include tracking, evidence recovery and narcotics detection. Sergeant Shaw says Bacchus is basically a scent dog. He is not trained for apprehension like a full patrol dog, and his gentle nature shines from his golden-brown eyes. “He’s more of a lover than a fighter,” says Shaw.

That is not to say that Bacchus is not protective of his longtime handler and partner. “He is protective of me like I’m his dad,” Shaw laughs. Since the Shepherd lives at home with the sergeant and his family, he says, “We’ve got the pack thing going on. Bacchus will protect his family.” Still, Shaw admits that his canine partner, while intimidating-looking, lacks the aggressiveness of a true attack dog.

The easygoing Bacchus may not be ferocious, but he is overflowing with bravery. This courageous canine came close to losing his life in 2021 while conducting the drug search of a car. He overdosed on Fentanyl and required Narcan to bring him back. “It was a scary situation at the time,” admits Sergeant Shaw. He is thankful his special partner pulled through.

The rookie of the Department’s K-9 Unit, Atlas, must also be brave in dangerous situations. A handsome three-year-old, Atlas is still in training along with his handler, Officer Nick Cousins. Unlike Bacchus, Atlas will be a full patrol dog and will be used for apprehension. He is also being cross trained in narcotics detection. An essential part of training for this novice K-9 and his handler is forging that special bond that will seal their partnership. Sergeant Shaw has high hopes for the pair. “Atlas is a good young dog,” he states. “He has a great drive.”

Shaw praises the courage of these highly intelligent Shepherds. “They are willing to take one for the team,” he says. “At the same time, they are doing what they are trained to do, and what they love to do."

Labradors Hutch and Major, and Shepherds Bacchus and Atlas are shining stars of local law enforcement. These impressive K-9s proudly and bravely serve their partners, departments, and communities. While each dog plays a different role, they have one undeniable thing in common: they are all uncommon heroes.