Contact: Beth Stone 508-584-8120
WAREHAM – Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz and Wareham Police Chief Walter Correia, Jr. are proud to introduce Lexi, a specially trained comfort dog to support students and residents.
Lexi is the most recent addition to the Plymouth County Comfort Dog Program. The Town of Wareham recently acquired Lexi, a Labrador Retriever, from Professional Canine Services in Middleboro, where she will also perform her comfort dog training. Lexi, 3-months old, was acquired by Wareham Police with assistance from a $5,000 grant from the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.
Lexi and her handler, Wareham Police Juvenile Detective Karl Baptiste, will be used to reduce stress and promote wellness for students in Wareham Public Schools, and residents at town events. Lexi will also be on hand to offer comfort to our police officers.
“The Plymouth County Comfort Dog program created a network of comfort dogs and handlers who assist the community through daily interactions with students and coordinated response to crisis situations,” DA Cruz said. “In ways big and small, the dogs are an important part of trauma-informed response within the county, helping create positive relationships between children and law enforcement, while spreading joy wherever they go. Lexi is bound to be a great addition to the town of Wareham.”
Wareham Police Chief Correia said Lexi will play a pivotal role in creating a calming presence for students and staff. She will be a valuable resource in supporting the mental and emotional well-being of students, our officers and the Wareham Community.
The DA’s Office is partnered with Bridgewater State University to conduct an academic study of the Plymouth County Comfort Dog program, which has grown to include 15 dogs county-wide. The office applied for and received a modification to its COSSUP federal grant for the Drug Endangered Children Initiative to fund a study of the comfort dog program’s effectiveness, determine best practices, and support care and training of the dogs.