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Bow Selectmen accept donated comfort dog for fire department; training to be funded by donations
Summary
Selectmen agreed to accept a donated dog to serve as an internal comfort/therapy animal for fire personnel and, if certified, as an outward‑facing resource for CISM and community events. The donation is conditioned on the town bearing no unpledged financial obligation; the department will pursue donations and partially discounted training.
The board voted April 8 to accept a donated dog for use as an internal support and, if certified, as a community therapy resource for the Bow Fire Department.
Scope and purpose: Fire Chief Dennis Comeau and Captain Brandon Scogland presented the proposal, describing the dog as a multi‑purpose comfort and peer‑support resource for crew members following critical incidents and for community mental‑health outreach. The presenters described a staged approach: initial boarding and training with a trainer who runs ‘board‑and‑train’ programs, followed by certification tracks (Canine Good Citizen, advanced training and therapy/comfort dog certifications) to allow external deployments with other agencies’ critical incident stress management teams.
Costs and fundraising: The training provider quoted about $2,400 per month for board‑and‑train work and pledged to discount half that fee for the town. The department’s volunteers and Fire Department Association will solicit donations and reported early success: veterinary costs for the specific litter the town is considering have already been covered by a recent community fundraiser. Chief Comeau and the association leadership told Selectmen they do not intend to ask the town to underwrite the program; the board approved acceptance of the donated dog on the condition the town assumes no unexpected financial obligation.
Operational details: The department will designate a primary handler (Chief Comeau pledged to be the initial handler and point person). The dog will be housed at the station for day‑to‑day operations, and training will include handler instruction. Selectmen asked for a fundraising and operations update as training commitments proceed.
Vote: The board approved a motion to accept the donated dog conditioned on the town incurring no financial obligation; the motion passed by voice vote. Staff and department volunteers will proceed with fundraising and the trainer’s boarding schedule so training can begin once funds are pledged.
