New Natick comfort dog, first of its kind in Mass., helps reduce firefighters' stress

NATICK — Louie may only be an 9-week-old silver Labrador, but he's training for an important job with the Natick Fire Department — comforting and helping to lessen the stress firefighters feel while doing their job.

"The last three or four years, with all of the calls and all of the different things going on, I started noticing guys were burned out and stressed," said Natick fire Capt. Chris Hampton. "I started noticing that when we were going to calls and there were dogs there, the guys would just melt."

Hampton began researching the idea of having a comfort dog work at the station to help firefighters when they're feeling stressed or overwhelmed. He found that departments in Denver and Ohio did have such dogs.

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Jake Wark, spokesman for the state Department of Fire Services, said he was not aware of any Massachusetts fire departments that had comfort dogs.

But in Natick, Hampton said the more he looked into it, the more he thought it was a great idea. So he pitched it to Chief Jason Ferschke.

Ferschke was immediately receptive.

"It really goes along with our internal mental health and awareness techniques," he said. "Labs, in general, have a gentle demeanor. Not many people will pass up the opportunity to walk by a dog like that and not stop to pet him."

Rhode Island breeder donates Louie to Natick Fire Dept.

After working on the plan with Ferschke and the firefighters union, Hampton began searching for the right dog. He contacted Dame Dogs Labradors, LLC, of Rhode Island, a lab breeder, and its owner donated the puppy to the Natick Fire Department.

Louie currently lives with Hampton and his family, and will eventually come to work with him daily.

"His primary mission is for trauma response — being a comfort dog for the guys and girls who work here," said Hampton. "He'll be here to give them a day-to-day blood pressure drop. He's an instant blood pressure drop."

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Hampton said he envisions that after firefighters respond to a tough call, he can bring Louie to whatever station they're working at to help lower stress levels.

Eventually, he said it's possible that Louie will respond to calls with him and participate in community events. Hampton has started an Instagram page for the dog called firedog_louie.

"The people in the community will really love him," Hampton said.

Capt. Hampton, comfort dog to attend several training courses

So far, there has been no cost to the town, Ferschke said. The dog was donated, and Hampton has been absorbing other costs. He said the department will eventually start fundraising to defray those costs.

Louie has had a chance to meet several firefighters and has proven to be popular. Hampton and Louie will attend several training courses for therapy and being a comfort dog. Once Louie completes the classes and gets a little older, he'll be a fixture at the Natick Fire Department.

Comfort dogs support a person's mental health by providing attention and comfort. Therapy dogs, along with their owners, are certified to volunteer in clinical settings, such as hospitals and nursing homes, where they provide comfort and affection.

Hampton said he has not decided whether he and Louie will do all the training needed to become a certified therapy dog. But he said that even as a comfort dog, Louie will provide emotional support to those who need it.

Hampton said he thinks Louie will be a hit.

"In my own made-up statistics, I think 90% of people love dogs," he said.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Natick Fire Department gets silver Labrador to serve as comfort dog