Excerpt from Bridgewater State University’s 2024 final report about our evaluation:
“…The PCDAO partnered with Bridgewater State University School of Social Work to evaluate program implementation and gather perspectives on the effectiveness of the Comfort Dogs Program.
The evaluation involved sending surveys and conducting focus groups with handlers and adults who have observed Comfort Dog teams in action. Observational results confirm that interaction with comfort dogs improves resiliency and well-being by building skills of emotion regulation and coping, managing stress, maintaining focus and motivation, and processing grief.
The Comfort Dogs Program brings together a diverse group of community members to build relationships, foster community well-being, increase a sense of community pride, and build positive relationships between youth and law enforcement, allowing officers to make more effective referrals.
Additionally, 93% of participants agree that the program contributes to a positive climate, while handlers report that the Comfort Dogs Program fosters intra and interdepartmental relationships and collaboration between members of law enforcement and other first responders.
Central to the Comfort Dogs Program is the unique ability of the dogs to provide unconditional, nonjudgmental love and support to individuals in need. This assists those served by the program to better regulate their emotions, cope with stress, and engage in appropriate behavior to build resiliency and well-being: protective factors that reduce the risk of substance misuse by giving youth the tools to manage the stress in their lives.” 1
1: Bridgewater State University’s Academic Evaluation of the Plymouth County Comfort Dogs Program 2023-2024- page 5 & 6. This document is located at the bottom of this page.
FY 2021 COSSUP- Bridgewater State University Academic Evaluation Summary- 3 page report
Leslie J. Sattler, Ph.D, LICSW; Bridgewater State University
Robert McMackin, Ed.D; Lemeul Shattuck Hospital
Chloe Wojtowicz, MSW; Bridgewater State University
October 2023-September 2024
FY 2021 COSSUP- Bridgewater State University Academic Evaluation Summary- 2 page report
Leslie J. Sattler, Ph.D, LICSW; Bridgewater State University
Robert McMackin, Ed.D; Lemeul Shattuck Hospital
Chloe Wojtowicz, MSW; Bridgewater State University
October 2023-September 2024
FY 2021 COSSUP- Bridgewater State University Academic Evaluation- 1 page At-a-glance handout- blue
Leslie J. Sattler, Ph.D, LICSW; Bridgewater State University
Robert McMackin, Ed.D; Lemeul Shattuck Hospital
Chloe Wojtowicz, MSW; Bridgewater State University
October 2023-September 2024
FY 2021 COSSUP- Bridgewater State University Academic Evaluation- 1 page At-a-glance-handout- yellow
Leslie J. Sattler, Ph.D, LICSW; Bridgewater State University
Robert McMackin, Ed.D; Lemeul Shattuck Hospital
Chloe Wojtowicz, MSW; Bridgewater State University
October 2023-September 2024
Bridgewater State University’s Academic Evaluation of the Plymouth County Comfort Dogs Program
Leslie J. Sattler, Ph.D, LICSW; Bridgewater State University
Robert McMackin, Ed.D; Lemeul Shattuck Hospital
Chloe Wojtowicz, MSW; Bridgewater State University