Worcester police introduce first comfort dog during Worcester Public Schools visit

Mike Higgins, a police officer with Worcester, introduced Sheruff Barkley, a seven-month-old Bernedoodle, during a visit to the Worcester Public Schools administration building to announce the department’s new comfort dog program. The transcript does not specify the date of the visit.

Higgins said, “So he is Worcester Police's first comfort dog,” and described the animal’s role as non-law-enforcement: “His only job, He has no other police job other than to kind of go around in the public or in the, in the building or other first responders and just kind of make people feel a little bit better.”

Higgins gave basic details about Sheruff Barkley’s age, size and training. He said the dog is a seven-month-old Bernedoodle weighing “about 40 pounds” now and expected to reach about 80 pounds and grow roughly 10 more inches. On training he said, “Training lasts for about eight months. We're about, a little less than halfway through it. And then, there'll be yearly certifications that he'll go through.” Those timelines and certification plans were provided by Higgins in the visit; the transcript does not specify additional certification standards or who will certify the dog.

Visitors at the administration building responded positively during the visit, with attendees calling Sheruff Barkley “good boy” and one saying, “You just made my day!” The visit was presented as a community- and school-facing outreach effort rather than a policy decision; no motions, votes or formal actions were taken during the interaction recorded in the transcript.

The department described the program’s purpose as providing emotional support for members of the public, school staff and first responders. The transcript contains only the visit remarks and does not specify operational details such as scheduling, supervision, liability policies or formal adoption of the program into department procedures.