Today, 9/8/22, we introduced our new compassion dog, Leo! In police jargon, LEO means “law enforcement officer” and we particularly liked it because it recognizes that he is an important member of our team.

Leo is going to have two important jobs as a member of our department. First, he will be our department’s wellness ambassador and will be responsible for helping to keep our officers healthy and able to do their jobs. Stress takes an immense toll on our readiness as a department and studies show that a dog’s presence can help lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety, making Leo capable of doing work that few humans can accomplish.

Leo is also going to play an important role interacting with members of the public. He will be available to work with crime victims and children who come to the station and will also be out in the community: at schools, at the senior center, and anywhere else he is needed. He has town-wide jurisdiction, and we know he is up to the task.

Leo will be handled by Officer Bryan Monte. Officer Monte has been with our department for more than six years and is a Community Resource Officer. I know that he and Leo will make a great team and have a positive impact on our department and this town.

At our announcement today we were joined by Town Manager James Manni and Allie Welch from Thundermist Health Center We appreciate the support from the community and are looking forward to seeing Leo working across the Town of South Kingstown RI

We want to thank Leo’s breeders, Kerry and Michael Buckley of Cove Angels Breeding for their generosity in donating him to the department. We want to thank Rumford Pet Express for stepping up and offering to provide Leo’s food. And last, but not least, AT&T has provided funding to support our compassion dog program as part of its company-wide commitment to the health and wellness of first responders.

You can follow Leo on Facebook.